Star Wars: The Knight Survives
by aspiringactor
Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi barely escapes the Death Star alive, something which sends ripples of change throughout the Galaxy as we know it.
1. The Duel

" _I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan."_

Those words where enough to send a chill right through the Old Jedi Master as he slipped his way through the dark blueish grey halls of the Death Star. He could dodge every imperial officer, every Stormtrooper, every droid.

But he could not dodge his old student.

The lumbering titan stood in the corner, having used the Force to cloud himself from Obi-Wan's dulled senses for a moment, until he was ready to reveal his presence. Years of isolation in the desert had taken their toll on the Clone Wars veteran, and a sobering thought filled Obi-Wan Kenobi.

He could not best Vader in a direct confrontation. Not in his state, having been weakened by years in the desert without practice.

Even at the height of his power, a lifetime ago when he was counted as one of the best swordsmen in the whole galaxy, he would have stood no chance against this terror. Anakin had always been a superior warrior to Obi-Wan. Always stronger, always faster. The only thing that had saved Obi-Wan from a beheading on Mustafar was Anakin's overconfidence in his abilities, and unrefined power in the dark side.

"We meet again, at last. _"_ Vader stated as he stepped forward, bringing his crimson-hued lightsaber to bear. Out of pure reflex, Obi-Wan smoothly ignited his own crystal blue blade, and assumed a simple Soresu stance. One he had used in countless battles.

Just past the towering cyborg, Obi-Wan could see the smuggler's ship, _The Millennium Falcon_ resting in the docking bay. Close enough that he knew he would be able to sprint to it, if he could only evade Vader's swift strikes, and the inevitable blaster fire from nearby Stormtroopers.

"The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now _I_ am the master," Vader said with absolute confidence as their blades came close to touching one another.

"Only a master of evil, _Darth!"_ Obi-Wan spat as he stabbed his blade towards Vader's neck. Of course, Vader easily deflected the blow and retaliated, but Obi-Wan was fast enough to parry. Almost chuckling, Obi-wan found himself recalling his first duel with Count Dooku, on Geonosis. Before then, he had always assumed that Makashi, Dooku's chosen form for sabre to sabre duelling, was weak and inefficient.

Now, however, in his old age, Obi-Wan found himself adopting many of the techniques he had seen Dooku use to great effect. His lightsaber and Vader's danced around one another in intricate circles, briefly clashing together as each warrior tested the others defences.

Obi-Wan still held no hopes of besting Vader one-on-one. He knew that Darth Vader was holding back, being extremely cautious. No doubt due to the extensive injuries he had received on Mustafar. If he chose to, Vader would have no trouble obliterating him with a single sweep of his blade. Even the mightiest members of the Jedi Council, such as Master Yoda, Mace Windu, Kit Fisto and even Anakin _himself_ would have second guessed their ability to confront Vader on their own. If the rumours he had picked up in Mos Eisley where true, Vader had hunted down and eviscerated an enclave of Jedi Knights and Masters who had attempted to overthrow the Emperor on their own.

"Your powers are _weak_ old man!" Vader taunted as Obi-Wan skirted around his lumbering frame, sweeping his blade around in an arc, which he brought down on Vader's waiting blade just in time to push it aside.

However, Vader's cybernetic limbs managed to over-power Obi-Wan's tired old ones. A series of swift strokes shook Obi-Wan's core, though he did his best to steel himself against the barrage of attacks. Despite his efforts, however, he was being pushed back ever so slightly. Inch by inch, he knew his doom was drawing closer. Much like it had for Qui-Gon on Naboo, when Darth Maul had lured him into close quarters before gutting him. He needed to act fast to avoid that same fate.

He did just that. Vader lunged for a killing strike, but Obi-Wan strafed him perfectly, dodging the incoming blade and re-gaining his footing.

"You can't win, Darth," Obi-Wan quipped as he circled the tip of his blade around. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can _possibly_ imagine!" That much was true. Vader had no knowledge of the ability to re-gain one's consciousness after joining the Force. In fact, only three Jedi knew of it. Himself, Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn, the latter only having barely achieved it before his untimely death. And even as a Jedi, Anakin never had much patience for the more spiritual side of the Force. He was a more practical sort, preferring to rely on his wits, strength and skills to get him out of rough situations.

"You should not have come back," Vader said firmly as the two of them locked blades again. Using the Force, Obi-Wan empowered his limbs enough to push Vader back a step, before cleaving his blade downwards. His strike was barely blocked by Vader's stout blade. If this was ten years ago, no doubt that strike would have sunk deep into Vader's shoulder. Again, he realized how much age was catching up to him.

But age had never been a problem for Master Yoda, Obi-Wan realized. He had been so blind, that he had forgotten that with the Force, many things where possible. Concentrating hard, Obi-Wan felt new life shoot through his body. His arms felt lighter, as light as they had been they day he had fought General Grevious. His feet moved swiftly as he danced around Vader, who seemed to sense Obi-Wan's renewed vigour. Vader upped the tempo of his blade-work appropriately, matching Obi-Wan brilliantly.

Their lightsabers clashed again and again so quickly that no normal eye could truly see what was happening. Both Obi-Wan's brilliant blue blade and Vader's bloody red blade shone brighter than ever as they clashed together in a shower of sparks that could blind one if they looked at it for two long.

With a quick glance over his shoulder, Obi-Wan saw his companions, plus Princess Leia, sprint across the hangar bay. All the Stormtroopers on guard where too busy watching the duel between their Lord and the legendary Jedi Master. Of his companions, only Luke, showing one of Anakin's most endearing qualities, curiosity, stopped to watch the duel.

Looking back at his former Apprentice, Obi-Wan knew that there was no way he was going to win this fight. His strength and endurance, though increased to incredible levels by the Force, would not last forever. Whereas he could feel the Dark Side fuelling Vader ever more.

Vader charged, swinging his lightsaber, allowing Obi-Wan to make his move. He stepped to the side, and in a blur of motion, leaped high into the air. He flew over the heads of the Stormtroopers, twirling his lightsaber through the air as they attempted to shoot him down.

He landed between Luke and the Imperials, keeping his blade in constant motion, turning their shots back at them and their Master, who had recovered, and was sprinting towards the ship, screaming at his men to shoot only the pilot, the boy and to spare the ship, the princess, and Kenobi. No doubt so they could be of use to Vader later.

"Run, Luke!" Obi-Wan commanded as the last of the Stormtroopers fell, and Vader grew ever closer. "Run now!" Luke did as he was told, sprinting up the ramp, with Obi-Wan in tow, still turning back shots from Stormtroopers as they poured into the Hangar bay.

The ramp closed, and the ship began to shake as it took off.

Almost immediately Obi-Wan felt his legs give out from underneath him, as his strength waned completely. Darkness gripped at the edges of his vision as he slumped against the side of the _Millennium Falcon._ He was more tired now than he had ever been in his life. Years of isolation had definitely taken their toll on his body. He was only allowed one moment of peace before he was surrounded by worried bodies.

"Are you alright?" Luke sputtered, putting his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. In the process he brought back a very distant memory. One that involved a tired, aging Jedi Master, A young Skywalker, A Sith Lord and a desperate escape.

"...yes..." Obi-Wan replied weakly as he attempted to catch his breath. The fight had taken so much out of him. He desperately needed to meditate, but knew that now was not the time for that. The Empire would no doubt be sending T.I.E. fighters after them. They needed to get to a safe haven, and fast. "He was...stronger than I remembered..."

"Was that him?" Luke pressed, "was that Darth Vader? The one-"

"Come on kid!" The rugged smuggler, Han Solo, blurted as he appeared in the entrance of the Cargo hold. Sweat dripped down his face, which did not bode well for their situation. Although Obi-Wan had not known the Smuggler for more than a few hours, he certainly knew his type. And when someone as unflappable as he was was sweating, things where very dire. "We're not out of this yet!"

To his credit, Luke looked between Han, Leia and Obi-wan, unsure of what to do. To rectify this, Obi-wan gave a little nod, telling him to follow the smuggler to one of the two military-grade turrets on the top and bottom of the craft. Simultaneously Obi-Wan felt the Force shimmer with a faint cloud of the Dark Side. A cloud that he often sensed around Imperial Troopers and pilots. No doubt they where being pursued by T.I.E. fighters.

"Help me up," Obi-Wan commanded the droid, C-3PO. The golden protocol droid did as commanded, giving Obi-Wan the support he desperately needed in order to get to his feet. "The cockpit," he muttered softly, knowing that Chewbacca would most likely need some assistance in operating the craft, as Han was too busy warding off the Imperial assault. And although he had not piloted a craft in some time, he still felt he would be of more use there than sitting in the cargo hold.

" _Bweep-Bwoop"_ the little Droid, R2-D2, who Obi-Wan remembered had a knack for flying Anakin's personal Jedi Starfighter, whistled as the two of them passed by. He also remembered what a colourful personality R2 had. Something which certainly had not been dulled by time.

"Yes, yes," Obi-Wan nodded, waving the droid off, "eventually. When the time is right, my little friend." With that, he hobbled his way into the co-pilot's chair, next to the towering Wookie, who rumbled his approval as Obi-Wan took up a set of controls. He also took it upon himself to call out targets, trying to discern where and when they would be in optimal firing range.

"I count six fighters," Obi-Wan said calmly, analyzing the situation. His eyes darted around, following each of the T.I.E. fighters as they flew circles around the ship. "Two coming in from Vector Five-Six-Thirteen. They're targeting our engines."

"Don't you dare mess with my ship's controls old man," Han spat, as he rotated his turret and fired along the path Obi-Wan had suggested. His shots where true, sinking into the Imperial ships with ease. "Alright..." the captain half-moaned, "you know what you're doing after all."

"I was flying ships before you where born!" Obi-Wan chuckled in response. "Another making a run for the power coupling on the under-carriage. Luke, take the-" Before he could say anything, the T.I.E. fighter exploded into a million pieces.

"I got him!" Luke cheered gleefully, in a voice that once more reminded Obi-Wan of Anakin.

"Focus, Luke," Obi-Wan chimed, not wanting the young man's jubilation to get the better of him in the heat of battle.

The destruction of their three wing-men caused the remaining T.I.E. fighters to break off their planned attack run, manoeuvring themselves into a more optimal firing position for taking out the gunners.

But Obi-Wan sensed that something was off about the attack. The Empire knew that they had important tactical data aboard their ship. Information that could lead to the downfall of the monstrosity that was the Death Star. So why where they not deploying their entire fleet of T.I.E fighters to bring them down? Even if they lost a third of their ships, the sheer number would be enough to overwhelm the smuggler's ship.

Or failing that, they could send a few Star Destroyers their way. The Millennium Falcon had already proved that it was incapable of escaping an Imperial Tractor beam. So why was Vader not ordering their immediate capture?

As the final T.I.E. fighter exploded in a shower of debris, Obi-Wan came to a sudden realization.

"R2," he hastily ordered, "scan all frequencies. See if you can pick up any anomalies!" the Empire had been given plenty of alone with the ship. And any individual worthy of commanding such a powerful super-weapon would surely understand that their escape was a distinct possibility. And they would obviously try and capitalize on such a situation.

" _Bweep-bwoop teedlee-dee!"_ the droid chirped excitedly, as Luke, Han, Leia and C-3PO entered the cockpit.

"What?" the smuggler scoffed, "what did he say?"

"He says that there is an unidentified electronic signal coming from underneath the main radar dish," C-3PO quipped politely, as R2 projected a three-dimensional image of the device. Obi-Wan could not recognize it himself, but it was definitely based on Old Republic designs used during the Clone Wars. He himself had seen such devices used before.

"That's an XX-25 S-Thread tracker," Leia remarked, as she slid into the only unoccupied seat. "Very new, I've only heard about them being used twice before."

"Can it be disabled?" Obi-Wan asked. They couldn't just let the Empire track them wherever they went. They needed to get rid of it as soon as possible.

"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "No, I don't think so anyways. Every XX-23 and -24 model came equipped with explosives. If we attempt to remove or deactivate it before we land, it will detonate. And it'd probably take this ship down with it."

"Not _this_ ship sister," Han scoffed as he kicked his feet up. "She's tough enough to take-"

"Captain, the chances of this ship surviving an explosion of that magnitude are Four-Hundred and Seventy-Five thousand to One!" C-3P0 exclaimed worriedly. Obi-Wan stood by the droid's concern, though his excessive emphasis on numbers and probability was ludicrous. And it caused unnecessary worry throughout the crew. No one said anything to anyone for a few long minutes as they all contemplated what to do next.

"We'll have to land," Leia remarked, as she pointed to the star-chart on display. "Yavin 4 is our best bet. It's the closest, and largest, Rebel Base. If anyone's going to be able to take the battle-station out, it will be them," she said surely, looking to both Obi-Wan and Han for their input. But there really was no choice. Their ship only had enough fuel to barely reach Yavin 4. All other spaceports where out of reach.

...xxXxx...

Not for the first time, Wilhuff Tarkin was not keen on being in the presence of Darth Vader. Even on the best of days, the Sith Lord was at best, manageable. His penchant of strangling officers did not go unnoticed, and Tarkin understood perfectly that the only reason he was still alive was due to an executive order to Vader, from the Emperor himself.

Together, the two of them stood in a private conference room. And they where speaking to a hologram of Emperor Palpatine himself. The Emperor sat in his High Throne, located in the very heart of the Empire in the Imperial Palace. From there, he had access to every channel of communication, the location of every Imperial asset, and every Imperial credit. There was even a rumour that had reached Tarkin's ears that the Emperor could initiate a self-destruct sequence upon any ship he wished. Something that Tarkin knew was well within his power.

"So," The Emperor snorted, "Obi-Wan Kenobi has returned, after all these years..." he said, putting his hands together, contemplating his next words. "How fortunate that you where there to deal with your old Master, my _apprentice._ " Palpatine said with a small grin.

"He escaped, my Master," Vader said without a hint of emotion. "The Rebels executed an extraction for Leia Organa, the Princess of Alderaan, who we-" he was silenced by a wave of the Emperor's hand.

"It is my understanding that Alderaan was destroyed," Palpatine said coldly, as his eyes flickered from Vader to Tarkin. "By our battle-station. Was it not?"

"It was, my Lord," Tarkin said stiffly, sticking to facts, not wanting to upset the most powerful being in the galaxy. "As per your orders. My most recent intelligence reported that Senator Organa was planetside less than an hour before we arrived in-system. I have no reason to believe that he survived." Bail Organa and his allies had long been a thorn in the side of the Empire, even before it had been formed, he had resisted it's rise. Slowly, the Emperor, Tarkin and Vader had all worked to root out those traitors. The fruits of their labour unfortunately came to found the core of the Rebellion that they now fought.

"Good," The Emperor hissed from underneath his hood. "Good. With his passing, the Rebels will be devastated, with only Senator Mothma to lead them. She will most certainly fail."

"My Lord," Tarkin nodded, stepping forward. "Lord Vader...and _I,"_ he said, giving himself credit for an idea that he had initially rejected, "placed a tracking beacon upon the Rebel ship. Should it rendezvous with the Rebel Fleet, or proceed to one of their hidden bases..."

"You will annihilate them," The Emperor cackled, shifting a finger as he spoke. "However, if the Rebels do indeed possess the stolen Data Tapes...and if they are in the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, there is a great risk. Governor Tarkin," he said, as a smaller image of three Star Destroyers appeared, "You will oversee the battle from a safer distance. Remote control over the Station will be yours. Lord Vader," The Emperor hissed, as his beady little eyes flickered towards the Towering Sith Lord. "The remaining Inquisitors will be dispatched to your side immediately. You are to intercept any and all rebel command ships that attempt to leave the system. And bring Kenobi to me. Dead or Alive. Am I clear?" he said, as his fingers tapped the edge of his Throne.

"Yes my Lord," they both replied in unison.

...xxXxx...

Luke Skywalker had never seen so many ships together in one place in his life. Counting them all, he was sure there where enough to fill the entire Mos Eisley Spaceport ten times over, if not more.

The majority of the ships he saw where X-wing Fighters. Nimble dog-fighters he had seen on the holovids, which where used by the Rebels against the Empire. About half as many Y-wing bombers could also bee seen, as well as a number of A-wing starfighters.

But more interesting to him was the plethora of converted civilian ships. Freighters, Cargo Transports and old Clone War ships peppered his vision. It was all like a dream come true. He became so caught up in everything that he didn't notice a rusty-looking Astromech, easily older than some of the ships, run headfirst into his leg.

"Ouch!" Luke grunted, as the droid proceeded to run over his foot. The droid, as well as the tall Lasat that accompanied it, both let out a chuckle as they blew past him. He briefly thought about confronting them, but realized that he would quickly lose Ben and the Princess in the crowd if he did. So, he doubled his pace to better keep up with the two of them. Behind him, Han Solo and Chewbacca lagged, conferring with one another. Secretly, Luke hoped that the duo would stay with them.

A speeder pulled up in front of Ben and Leia, and out hopped two guards, and an old man, who quickly hugged the Princess tightly.

"You're safe," the old man said warmly, "when I heard about Alderaan, I feared-"

"No time for pleasantries, General Dodanna," Leia said curtly, bowing her head as she spoke. "We have the tapes from Scariff! R2," she said, summoning her droid, who rolled forward and whistled merrily, "will show them to you, once we reach the command centre," she said as she boarded the speeder, with the droids, Ben and Luke in tow. One of the guards, however, aimed a blaster rifle at Luke's chest, stopping him cold.

"Not you," the guard snapped, "back up before-"

"Soldier this man helped rescue me from that horrible Battle-Station," Leia replied firmly, staring the guard down. "General, these two are to accompany me. Furthermore," she sighed, as she, and Luke, looked back towards Han and Chewie, "those two are expecting some form of payment."

"Understood," Dodanna replied with a curt nod, aimed at Ben. "Welcome to the Rebellion, General Kenobi! And..." he said, his eyes darting towards Ben, obviously looking for Luke's name, and not wanting to sound rude about it.

"I'm Luke Skywalker," Luke said politely, holding out his hand, just like his Uncle had taught him to do. However, the General's reaction was somewhat unexpected.

" _Skywalker?"_ Dodanna said, looking from Luke to Ben as the speeder tore off towards the main portion of the base. "As in _Anakin_ Skywalker? The Hero of the Republic?"

"His son," Ben replied simply, nodding his head. "General, you may wish to begin the evacuation of the base. Our ship was tracked. Might I suggest setting up a rendezvous point-"

"Ahead of you on that, general," Dodanna smirked as the speeder banked sharply. "Most of the upper command has already left the system, heading for one of our three main bases. However, the bulk of our military forces remain planetside, ready for action." The speeder continued along a marked path, skirting around a modified light freighter, which was being attended to by the same droid that had run over Luke's foot. "Unfortunately most of our command ships took a beating over Scariff. Less than half are combat ready. And we are in need of a new flagship." Looking around, Luke wondered why none of the ships still on the ground would suffice. They where all larger than any he had ever seen with his own two eyes.

"A yes," Ben sighed with a small chuckle. "Now it is all coming back to me. So many times...outgunned. Outnumbered. Yet we still managed to pull through." Once again, just like on Tatooine, Luke's mind was filled with a thousand buzzing questions. How many battles had Ben and his Father been involved in? How many people had he killed? What where the Clone Wars like? All of these and more threatened to overload his brain, until he calmed himself down, just like Jek Turbond, the man who had first taught Luke how to fly a ship, had taught him. He let out a slow, deep breath as the speeder came to a steady stop.

They all disembarked, and two crowds quickly converged into one. The first was comprised of people expressing their condolences to Leia for the loss of her Father, and Planet. The other was comprised of people both wishing to help Ben as he walked, and to plead for his advice, even as he told them he did not know enough to give his opinion.

Luke, C-3PO and R2-D2 however, where quickly pushed to the back of the room, into a corner as more and more people flooded in. Apparently news of their predicament had spread rapidly. More rapid than the General in charge wished, apparently.

"My goodness!" C-3PO exclaimed as he was rudely shoved into Luke by a pair of pilots in full flight gear. "How rude!" the droid said, causing one of the pilots to turn around with a scowl.

A scowl that quickly faded once he caught sight of Luke.

"Biggs?" Luke blurted at the sight of his childhood friend.

"Luke?" Biggs Darklighter said simultaneously. Without a pause, the two best friends pulled one another into a tight, brotherly hug. It had been nearly two years since they had last seen one another. The last time they had seen one another was minutes before Biggs had boarded the transport, heading for the Imperial Academy. There, he would be classically trained as a pilot and get to explore far-off worlds, just like Luke had always dreamed of. "How in the _blazes_ did you wind up here?"

"Long story," Luke replied with a smile, as he clapped a hand on Bigg's shoulder. "I'll tell you later!" he said, as things inside the room became very heated.


	2. Escape from Yavin 4!

The war-room fell silent as their early-warning systems picked up four new contacts at the very edge of their range. Three Star Destroyers and the Death Star sat at the very precipice of the Yavin system.

Even without the Battle-station, the Empire had brought enough fire-power to obliterate them completely. Obi-Wan knew this. General Dodanna knew this.

"All evacuation crews!" Dodanna ordered, issuing a base-wide broadcast. "Triple time! This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!" Shrill horns began to blare through the air as Dodanna turned to face obi-Wan. "We have scramblers set up across the planet. They can't pinpoint the location of our base without descending into the atmosphere. That should buy us a few more minutes at the very least."

"The Empire does not need our precise location," Obi-Wan corrected him. "Only the correct planet." Dodanna nodded, and leaned in to whisper into Obi-Wan's ear.

"I know that," the General said. "You know that. But they don't. And that's for the best, i think." Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. The last thing they needed right then was thousands of rebels panicking. That would only lead to more trouble. "Our Y-wings should be our first priority," Dodanna said, as he straightened his back, addressing the rest of the assembled generals. "By far, they are our most effective weapon, especially against Star Destroyers."

"We could use them on a bombing run," a green-skinned Twi'lek female, dressed in full pilot's gear, boldly suggested. "target that Battle-station's weapon control systems, disabling it and-"

"By the time we do enough damage to that Station," Obi-Wan cut in calmly, stroking his beard as he examined the schematics of the Death Star. "What remains of the fleet will be decimated, and half of the Imperial Fleet will be bearing down upon those of us that remain." he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he felt the trace of a familiar presence brush against his thoughts. A voice from his past. Someone he had known well. Someone who's soul was tainted by anger.

Vader.

He pushed the presence out of his head firmly, focusing on the situation at hand. "This is a fight we cannot win right now."

"Forgive me, Master Jedi," General Dodanna said, with a smirk edging at the corners of his mouth. Obi-Wan knew exactly what he had just done. Having a Jedi in their midst would be a huge boost of morale for the Rebel fleet. Many of the gathered Generals whispered to one another. This was big news to them. "But if I remember my history correctly, you have fought many battles with _far_ fewer resources and come out very much alive. Where you not present for the Battle over Ryloth? At the siege of Kamino? Both of the Battles of Geonosis?" Obi-Wan took in a deep breath, knowing that it would be best to not outright refute the claims that the General was making. But at the same time, he also had to emphasize the importance of his opinion.

"Yes," Obi-Wan replied, as he caught sight of Luke, standing in the very back of the room, taking in his every word. "In almost every battle that I ever fought in, I was outnumbered, and out-gunned. And that taught me a valuable lesson. How to out-think your enemy." He paused, letting his words sink into their minds. He knew many of them wanted to fight. They where as bred for combat as any Clone Soldier he had ever fought beside. "The Empire is ready for this fight. They have been for a long time. With proper execution, we _can_ take out that Battle-Station. But we need the time to form a proper plan than simply throwing our fighters at it. General," he said, turning back to face Dodanna. "make as many copies of those plans as you possibly can. And send them to every base you have. We cannot risk the Empire getting them back."

"Understood," Dodanna nodded, as he signalled for one of his men to do as Obi-wan instructed. "I shall have a shuttle prepared for you...and your charge. They will take you..." he said, as he pulled up a list of what Obi-wan assumed where bases. "To the Naboo Base."

...xxXxx...

Luke Skywalker was so caught up in all of the excitement surrounding the base, he wasn't exactly sure where he was going. He'd followed Biggs Darklighter out of the War-room with a bunch of his squad-mates. Now, they where in a locker room of sorts, and Biggs had just pulled out a red flight-suit and helmet.

"Here," he said, tossing the suit into Luke's arms. "You'll need this if you're gonna fly with us."

"You sure he's qualified?" one of the Pilots, named Porkins, asked bluntly. Luke looked the man up and down, considering asking if he was sure his ship would be able to take off with him in it. But he stopped himself. Uncle Owen would _never_ have approved of him spewing such an insult.

"Porkins," Biggs chuckled, "Luke practically taught _me_ how to fly! He's the best pilot in the outer-rim territories!" Laughter rolled throughout the group as Luke tossed aside his dust-covered clothes in favour of the flight suit. It fit almost perfectly, as if he was supposed to be wearing it. No sooner had he slid the last glove over his hand than a helmet was thrust into his hands.

"You're our number five," the tallest of the pilots, a man named Wedge, said firmly. "You'd better earn it, kid. The last man to wear that helmet was my friend." Luke nodded his response as the group of them trotted out of the locker room. As soon as they had done so, they where confronted by a burly-looking older man.

For Luke, it was nearly impossible to tell how old this man really was. Fierce creases crossed his face, and Luke couldn't tell if those where age lines or battle-scars. Perhaps they where a mixture of both. His arms where covered in thick slabs of muscle, which in turn was covered by battered armour. Armour which was similar to the kind Luke saw the Stormtroopers wearing, but still different enough. The man's eyes flashed over the group with a discerning eye, which almost immediately fell on Luke.

With a glance, he forced the pilots of Red Squadron to split apart, giving him a clear path to Luke, who gulped.

"This is your new number five?" the man said, with a low growl.

"Yes, Commander," Wedge replied calmly. "A very skilled pilot, so Biggs says. And we don't-" the older man cut Wedge off with a stern grunt as he continued to stare deep into Luke's eyes. Almost as if he was looking for something.

"Have you ever flown an X-series fighter before, runt?" the old man snapped.

"No, sir..." Luke gulped, wanting nothing more than to back away from him.

"How many TIE's have you shot down, kid?" the old man asked forcefully.

"T...Two," Luke replied nervously, knowing this was far from an impressive number.

" _Two?"_ the old man grunted as he pushed Luke back with one hand. "Two? You think that makes you a pilot, _boy?_ Droids can fly! Droids can shoot! Are you a Droid?! _"_ he bellowed as he pushed Luke again, harder this time, causing Luke to stumble backwards. "Are you?!" the old man repeated as a third push knocked Luke right off his feet, onto the ground. "One little mess-up, _boy,_ and everyone here is dead! Do you hear-?"

" _Rex!"_ a woman's voice called out, cutting through the dull Yavin air like glass. Again, the pilots of Red Squadron parted ways, giving Luke a clear line of sight to two women who where approaching. One was a green-skinned Twi'lek, the other was a human woman, perhaps a year or two older than Luke.

"Captain," the old man, 'Rex', said, turning away from Luke for a moment to talk with the Twi'lek. "I'm a little busy here."

"I can see that," the Twi'lek replied plainly. "But I think there's someone you're going to want to meet in person."

"Who?" Rex grunted disdainfully. "Not some _shiny_ like..." he said as his gaze turned back to Luke for a moment.

"Rex, we lost a lot of good people during the Scariff operation," the Twi'lek said, as she placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Too many. We're going to have to use new volunteers like him," she said as she indicated her head towards Luke, who remained on the ground, slightly afraid of this man still. "and besides," she continued, "this is someone I think you'll want to speak with in private before we take off." Rex muttered something under his breath, before being led away by the Twi'lek woman.

Before he could rise, Luke was offered the hand of the armoured young woman. He took it gratefully, and did his best to not stare too long at the many wild patterns imprinted over the plates that covered her body. On Tatooine, it was rare to see so much colour condensed all into one space.

"Don't mind Rex," the woman smirked as she patted away some of the dirt that had covered Luke's shoulders. "He's a little to tightly wound. Give him time and he'll come around," she finished before turning around and following her two companions.

"Thanks..." Luke said, even though she was long out of ear-shot. Only a punch to his shoulder from Biggs brought him back to his senses.

"Well, well, well," Biggs chuckled, shaking his head as they walked. "Luke, being on that station must have really given you some moon-sized stones!" Still stunned, Luke didn't quite know how to respond. Or even what Biggs was talking about. His expression must have tipped Biggs off to his confusion. "Goin' and _not_ turning tail in the presence of the old droid-blaster!" At this, the gathered pilots all began to laugh. As they did, Luke spotted Han and Chewbacca not far off, loading supplies onto their ship as fast as they could.

"Not to mention hitting it off with the Mando-girl," Porkins chuckled, though Luke wasn't listening. He peeled off and made a beeline for the smuggler duo. Chewbacca was the first to catch sight of him, setting down the crate of credits he was carrying.

" _Huuragh,"_ Chewbacca rumbled as his powerful arms pulled Luke into a gripping hug from which he could not escape. _"Krooog huck huroo..."_ the Wookie mumbled as he patted Luke's head with one hand. Despite his best efforts, Luke couldn't quite escape the Wookie's grasp. So he was forced to just wait it out.

"Hey Chewie," Luke smirked, the moment he was able to slip out of his grasp. He turned to face the smuggler, with a small scowl forming on his face. The smuggler was clearly leaving. And Luke didn't want him to go. He knew Han would be needed there. The Rebel Alliance could certainly make use of his skills as a pilot, and of his ship. "So," he half-spat at Han, who gave Luke a knowing look. "You've got your reward? And now you're leaving?" he asked coldly.

"Yeah," Han nodded, "yeah. Listen..." he said, as his eyes darted around the hangar. He leaned in closer and continued, "why don't you tag along? Your not bad in a fight, you can fly. Could use you on board."

"Come on!" Luke replied, swinging his arm around the base, "look at them! You know what they're up against! They need you, Han!" the smuggler took a step back as a darkened expression crossed his face. He seemed like he was going to say something. Something harsh, but he struggled to restrain himself.

"what good's a reward," Han said instead, coldly grabbing one of the crates of credits in his arms. "If you ain't around to use it?" Luke stared back at the jaded man for a moment, contemplating if he could say anything to convince him otherwise. He realized that he couldn't.

"Take care of yourself," Luke spat as he stepped away. "I guess that's what you're _good at."_ He began to walk away, but Han placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"Luke..." he said, shaking his head with a hint of disbelief. "May... _May the Force be with you."_ Luke wanted to say something back, but couldn't. He just walked away from Han, thinking it was easier. He began to make his way towards the X-wings. He figured that was where he would be of most use. He wasn't a general like Ben, or a Princess like Leia. He was a nobody, but still wanted to do his part.

He had made it halfway back to the pilots, when C-3P0, the golden Protocol Droid, waddled up to him.

"Master Luke! Master Luke!" the droid exclaimed, waving his arms in the air as he spoke. "You've been summoned again! Master Ben wishes to speak with you!" Looking between the droid and the pilots, Luke sighed as he trotted off after the former. He wondered what the old man wanted from him. Was it to send him back to Tatooine? To continue his Jedi Training? Both of those seemed unlikely, given the gravity of the situation they where in at the moment.

...xxXxx...

Obi-Wan leaned over the edge of the holo-table, eagerly eyeing the deployment of the Imperial Fleet. The method in which their ships where deployed absolutely _reeked_ of Captain Tarkin, a respected General in the Clone wars, who had gone on to become a regional governor in the outer rim. Three Star Destroyers formed the rear of the formation, while five light carriers and six troop transports brought up the front. And in between them flew scores of TIE Fighters. No doubt being led by Vader himself. Obi-Wan doubted that there was a single pilot in the whole rebellion capable of out-manoeuvring his former apprentice. _Maybe_ an entire squadron could best him, but not if Vader had the amount of backup that he currently possessed.

He was alone in the room, as every other General, including Dodanna, had left in order to secure proper transport. Though the latter swore that Obi-wan would be given command of a small fleet. Despite his best efforts to have otherwise. Dodanna had made an excellent case that the Rebellion was extremely short on experienced generals and commanders, and that having a Jedi on their side was an absolute miracle.

But Obi-Wan was not interested in being General Kenobi again. He had not waited all this time to just become a military leader once more. His purpose, he knew, was to train Luke, who could lead the next generation of Jedi into the Galaxy. But they both had to survive long enough for that to happen. So, he resumed his careful dissection of the enemy fleet, comparing it to their own forces.

His examination of their situation ended abruptly, however.

Heavy boot-falls echoed through the room, garnering Obi-Wan's attention. Three people, two of whom held themselves back at the very edge of the room, while the third staggered forward. There was something familiar about the sound of those footsteps. Obi-Wan had heard them before, a million times. Unable to believe his ears, he spun himself around.

Unconsciously, he found his hand reaching for the hilt of his lightsaber, still being wary of an attack from an Imperial Stormtrooper.

His concerns where unfounded. There was no Imperial Stormtrooper to be seen. Only a familiar face. A face that was both one-of-a-kind and as generic as possible. The face, marred by both time and pain, stared back at him, momentarily unable to process what was happening.

"General..." CT-7567, the clone captain Obi-Wan had simply known as 'Rex', whispered, tears welling up in both their eyes. A haggard breath escaped the aged clone captain as the two men pulled into a half-handshake, half-hug. Obi-Wan knew that Rex was feeling the same way, no doubt. To have lost so many of his brethren over the years, men he had fought and died beside, to get one back was a miracle.

Breaking the embrace, Obi-Wan took in his old friend for what he was now. His accelerated aging was clearly in full effect, as he looked to be closer to Obi-Wan's age, as opposed to actually being in his thirties. Rex also now sported a beard, easily as long as Obi-Wan's was. His powerful frame was covered in modified clone trooper phase two armour, and he carried two blaster pistols on his hips, just as he always had.

Of course, there was much more that Obi-Wan noticed about his old friend, and a number of questions that he had for him. Had he obeyed Order 66? Had he defected before that? Had he seen Cody since the fall of the Republic? Did he know the _truth_ about what had happened to Anakin? Would he be angry that Obi-Wan had hidden himself for all those years? Would he understand why?

 _Nothing needs to be said,_ Obi-Wan told himself, as he glanced past Rex's shoulder, to his two companions. The Twi'lek who had suggested a bombing run on the Death Star, and a _colourfully_ armoured Mandalorian stood waiting by the entrance. And while they where obviously familiar with Rex, which Obi-Wan knew meant they where good people, Obi-Wan could not trust them with everything he wanted to tell Rex. Too much was at stake.

And almost on cue, Luke appeared in the entrance-way, having donned a full flight suit, obviously having planned to join a squadron in defending the Rebel Fleet. With a shake of his head, Obi-Wan was once more reminded of a young Anakin, who had done something very similar above Theed.

"You again!" Rex snorted as he spotted Luke, who stepped back.

"Relax Captain," Obi-Wan said calmly, resting his hand on Rex's shoulder. "He's my Padawan," he said plainly, not wanting to say any more until he had a chance to speak with Rex in private. This seemed to be enough to stop Rex from outright tossing Luke out of the room, and even tolerate his presence to a degree. Obi-Wan hoped that this would change, as it had with another Apprentice Rex had worked with so often. "Now," he said, clapping his hands together as he walked through the arch. "I think it is time we leave. Unless any of you think that the Empire will make a better offer?" The rest of them followed shortly. Luke stuck close to Obi-Wan's side as they wound their way through the tunnel.

"And I thought _Kanan's_ jokes where bad," The Mandalorian Girl chuckled from behind.

"It's a Jedi thing," the Twi'lek replied, as the group burst into a quick jog towards the exterior hangar. Quickening her pace, she caught up to Obi-Wan and Luke. "General Syndulla," she nodded, "Phoenix Fleet. We'll be your escort," she said as they exited the great temple, and once more where surrounded by ships. Though only a handful remained of what had been before. Which made it easier for them to make it towards the only remaining CR90 Corvette sat, surrounded by smaller ships of varying sizes. "We'll make sure you get to Naboo in one piece! Then we've got someone _else_ who'll want to... _Blast it_!" she huffed, as Obi-Wan looked up to see two of the Three Star Destroyers opening fire on the escaping Rebels.

"Go, now!" Obi-Wan ordered, as he rushed Luke on-board the Corvette, sealing the hatch behind them. As the ship began to rumble.

...xxXxx...

Darth Vader stood alone in the deep interior of the Star Destroyer. The only sound to be heard was that of his own breathing. In and out. Darkness crept through the room like a sickness. Darkness was an ally he had grown accustomed to. It allowed him to be alone with is own thoughts, his own memories.

He cursed himself, tightening his fists with rage over his many failures. For the second time, he had been bested by his former master. A man, who by all accounts, was no match for him. As a Jedi, Anakin Skywalker bested Obi-Wan more than he lost against him, upon reaching maturity as a Knight. He had always been stronger, and faster.

Superior in every way.

In every way, save for his sheer arrogance. That was what had led him to make such a foolish leap on the lava river bank. Had he had more sense, he would never have needed the suit he was trapped in currently. He would have been the most powerful being in the Galaxy. The Emperor would be dead. Padmé would have lived. His child would have lived. Everything in the Galaxy would have been perfect.

If not for his arrogance.

He clenched his mechanical fist even tighter. Nearby, an astromech droid that was hard at work repairing a faulty conduit, caved in on itself. The sheer power of the Force crushed it into a ball of twisted metal. A mere fragment of his fury.

The Emperor was not pleased with this outcome. That much was abundantly clear. Not only had Vader failed to retrieve the stolen plans, but they had fallen right into the hands of one of the few beings in the galaxy that posed the true threat to the Empire. A man who Vader had failed to kill twice now.

The doors to the room slid open, allowing five beings to enter. Though they where of a variety of races, they wore nearly identical black clothes and armour. They where the remaining Inquisitors. When their order had first been formed, there had been over twenty of the Jedi killers. But years of hunting the last of the order had taken their toll, and weeded out the weaker members.

Now, only the strongest of their order remained.

"Lord Vader," the leader of their Order, the Grand Inquisitor, said as he and the others bowed low. Both out of fear and out of respect. "We are at your command."

Vader did not turn to address him as he spoke. "The Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi is with the Rebel Fleet," he said firmly, controlling is anger. "You are to disperse, and intercept their command ships before they can leave the system. Find Kenobi."

"And kill him," the Grand Inquisitor replied with a dark chuckle. He was no doubt eager to prove himself against an esteemed Jedi Legend.

" _You_ alone would not survive," Vader replied coldly. "The one who finds him will stall him until I arrive. Only _I_ will kill Kenobi. His companions are yours to slay. Save for the Princess of Alderaan. The Emperor wishes for her execution to be public, and painful. Am I understood?"

"Yes, my Lord," the Grand Inquisitor replied in a subdued tone. Even though he still did not turn to look, he knew the Grand Inquisitor signalled for them to turn and leave the room. And once more, he was surrounded by darkness.

And it was into that darkness that he stared. He made a silent vow. A vow to destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi, the last remaining glimmer of Anakin Skywalker in the Galaxy, once and for all. He would not stop until his old Master's lightsaber hung from his belt. A trophy to show the Galaxy that Vader was unstoppable.

Because after Kenobi, there was only one obstacle in his path to ultimate power.

...xxXxx...

" _That's the biggest ship I've ever seen!"_ the pilot of their corvette exclaimed, as she caught sight of the Death Star, which was looming towards them at an alarming speed. Luke had to agree with her. He could never have imagined someone building something so huge. Even the size of the Star Destroyers amazed him.

Crammed into the Command deck of the Corvette with two pilots, the Captain, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan, R2-D2 and C-3P0, there was very little room for Luke to move around. But he did his best, watching as one of the massive behemoths broke off to intercept them. He watched with a mixture of fear and awe as powerful turbolasers filled the air with a volley of shots, hell-bent on taking them out.

"Don't worry," the pilot grinned as she gunned the controls, "our shields can take it. What those bucket-heads don't realize is that this beauty has _two_ shield generators. And an engine that can-"

"Stow that talk, Wexley," the Captain cut in, "and get us out of here before they cut us off. Make for point six-twelve-fourty," he said, entering a command into the database. "Green squadron, report in!" he called out to their escort fighters.

"Green Leader, standing by!" "Green Two standing by!" "Green Three standing by!" "Green Four standing by!" "Green Five standing by!"

"Green leader," the Captain said firmly, "We only need a few moments to make the jump into hyperspace! The Imperials are sure to deploy a fighter screen to cut us off! Do not let this happen."

"Sir, yes sir!" Green Leader replied, as Obi-Wan motioned for Luke to follow him out of the cockpit. He did, dutifully, noting that there was an edge of sadness on the old man's expression. Something was clearly bothering him. He watched as Obi-wan leaned against the wall for support, even though the ship had not changed course.

"Are you alright?" Luke asked, as he took the older man's arm and slung it over his shoulder.

"Yes, I'm alright Anik... _Luke,"_ he said, correcting himself mid-sentence as they walked. "Just..." he said, "just an old wound. That's all. I'll be alright by the time we get to Naboo."

"From what I've heard," Luke said, thinking back to his many trips into Mos Espa with his Aunt and Uncle, where he would hear pilots and traders boast about their adventures. "It's a beautiful place. Full of water and trees and plenty of wildlife. Have you ever been there before?" Obi-Wan looked back at him, and almost immediately, Luke felt something stir up inside of him.

 _He was in a room he had never seen before. Red lasers had him secluded from two warriors engaged in an aggressive melee. One sported a green lightsaber, the other a double-ended red one. Their blades danced around one another in a deadly flow of strikes, parries and feints. The man, who carried the green blade, was pushing the one with the double-blade, a Zabrak, into one corner of the room._

 _But the Zabrak turned the tide of the battle. He stunned the man by striking him in the face with the handle of his weapon. And a mere second later, drove one end of his staff into the stomach of his opponent._

Luke stumbled back, unsure of what he had just seen. It had seemed so very real to him, but still distant. Like a long-faded memory.

In a complete reversal of what had previously been, Obi-wan lurched forward, grabbing Luke by the shoulder with renewed vitality, supporting him with his body as he set him on the ground. Vaguely, Luke was aware that R2-D2 had rolled into the hallway with them, and was chirping a message.

"Not now, old friend," Obi-Wan told the droid as Luke's vision stopped swimming. "Easy, young Luke," he said, as he patted Luke's shoulder. "It's been a long day for you, hasn't it?"

Luke looked back up at him, still slightly dazed. It _had_ been a long day...or had it been two days? Maybe even three? The last time he had slept had been back on Tatooine, the night before R2-D2 had wondered off on his own, ironically saving Luke from a horrible fate.

"Let's get us somewhere to sit," Obi-Wan suggested. A good suggestion, given just how tired they both where. Together, the two of them hobbled down the main corridor of the Rebel Corvette.

Or they tried to, at least. A powerful blow struck the ship, sending ripples of energy through the hull. Thanks only to one another, Luke and Obi-Wan managed to stay on their feet. Luke was absolutely bewildered, whereas the older Jedi formed a scowl across his face.

...xxXxx...

" _Rugh-raw Grrrrr"_ Chewie grumbled from his seat in the co-pilot's chair.

"Chewie, we've been over this," Han scolded, wiping his brow as he glanced towards his Wookie co-pilot. "We owe Jabba big-time. Dropping those spices put a bounty on our heads. We pay him now," Han continued as he began to set in the co-ordinates for Tatooine. "and we're off the hook. Free to go work for whoever's got the biggest pockets!"

" _Raw-gurrg,"_ Chewie half-snarled at him.

"It's their fight," Han replied with a shrug as he prepared to jump into hyperspace. "not mine. It's a suicide mission, going up against the Empire like that. I've got enough problems with the Imperials even without joining the Alliance."

" _Ruk-Ruk grawl,"_ Chewie nodded intently.

"We're two smugglers," Han shot back as he set the hyper-drive to begin it's countdown. "They've got all the soldiers and pilots they'll ever need, buddy. Blast," he scoffed, "they've even got one of those so-called _Jedi_ on their side! They'll be fine!"

" _Rawr Ruuuk grruug!"_ Chewie replied with a shake of his fist.

"Well yes, this is the fastest ship in the galaxy!" Han snorted, as if that fact would ever be up for debate. "No, I'm not afraid of those Star Destroyers! I just think-" he stopped the words in his throat as he looked over, past his Wookie companion and out into space. There, he could see the small-by-Imperial-standards fleet looming towards Yavin IV. In a heartbeat he knew this was more than enough firepower to destroy everything the Alliance could throw at it. And although a part of him hated to admit it, he didn't want that to happen. "Oh blast it," he grunted as he shut down the hyper-drive and spun the _Millennium Falcon_ around, racing back towards the Rebel Base.

" _GgGgGgGgGgGg!"_ Chewie cheered enthusiastically, lightly slapping Han on the arm.

"Don't get any ideas, Furball," Han replied as he gunned the engines, "It's 'cause I owe the kid. Nothing more. Now warm up the forward canons and I'll hand over fire control to you." he rolled the _Falcon_ as he opened a single-relay transmission to the nearest Rebel cluster, hoping that at least Luke was on board. He knew he couldn't escort ever single ship, after all.

" _Who is this?"_ a rough-sounding male voice grunted from one of the Alliance ships. _"_ _Reply, or be fired upon!"_

"This is Han Solo," he replied calmly, eyeing one of the Star Destroyers, which had peeled off to intercept their convoy. "Captain of the _Millennium Falcon_. I thought you guys might need an extra escort." The launch bays of the Star Destroyer opened, allowing about thirty TIE fighters to pour out into open space. Easily four fighters for every escort ship the Alliance Battle-group had at their disposal. It was going to be a tough fight no matter what.

" _Han?"_ the voice of Princess Leia replied over the comm line. " _What in blazes are you-?"_

"Easy Princess, just a change of heart," Han replied swiftly as the TIE's continued to approach the fleet. "Don't worry," he said as he took up a position in the formation of escort fighters, trusting that they wouldn't try and shoot his baby down. "Not like I'm going to live long enough to regret this, after all."

" _Good to have you with us,_ Falcon _,"_ the first male said. " _Do us a favour and keep those TIE's away from our rear cruiser's, will you?"_

"Aye, aye," Han replied, as he manoeuvred the _Falcon_ appropriately. No sooner had he done so than a swarm of TIE fighters attempted to engulf the Rebel fleet. Four green-coloured A-wing fighters, led by a heavily-modified light freighter peeled off to engage the first wave. They did better than Han thought they would, downing a third of the swarm while sustaining minimal damage.

A second wave of TIE's attempted to attack from the rear, but Han was more than ready for them. He swung his ship around on a dime, and fired right into the path of two incoming TIE's. Both ships where obliterated in an instant. Light canons on the Rebel Corvette turned and offered supporting fire against the swarm, reducing even more TIE's to dust. However, this was all a clever ruse by the Imperial Captain, who had used the distraction of the fighters to properly block their escape route with his Star Destroyer.

" _Green leader,"_ Leia's voice said, over a battle-group wide transmission, _"_ _We're open to suggestions! We've been cut off!"_

" _We have Ion charges,"_ a woman replied, _"_ _We can disable their shields. But we don't have the firepower to destroy them completely."_ Han pondered their situation for a moment, wondering if maybe the _Millennium_ _Falcon_ could disable the Star Destroyer's engines on it's own. He'd successfully taken out smaller Imperial Transports on his own before, after all. That's when it hit him.

"Chewie!" he snapped, "do we still have those seismic charges we took from Azmorigan?" Chewbacca growled a reply, as Han's mind whirled. They had two charges available. And although they where out-dated models, he'd seen one completely destroy an asteroid before. He guessed that _two_ would be enough to decimate a shield-less Star Destroyer.

" _Come again, Falcon?"_ Green Leader barked, " _Did you say you have a Seismic Charge?"_

"Two, actually," Han replied with a small smirk. "Knock out that boat's shields and I promise I can give them one _hell_ of a headache! I-"

" _New contacts!"_ Green Four roared, as seven blips appeared on the _Millennium Falcon's_ radar. Five oversized TIE fighters and two Imperial boarding craft. All of them making a beeline for their Rebel convoy. _"_ _I count five Defender-Class fighters!"_

" _Green Two through Green Six, break off and engage those fighters!"_ The Captain of the Lead Rebel Ship barked, " _Keep them away from our transports! Green Leader, Falcon, deal with those boarding craft before they can latch onto our hull! Then proceed to the target!_ _"_ Han eyed the five new TIE's with scrutiny. He'd heard rumours about the Empire having a much more advanced model of TIE, something capable of going into tough dogfights with even the most heavily armed and armoured fighters. But, he went against every fibre of his personality and did as he was instructed, swerving in behind Green Leader's Light Freighter as he set his sights on the first boarding vessel.

" _Falcon,"_ Green Leader said, _"_ _do me a favour and get their attention while I prepare my torpedoes."_

"Yes Ma'am," Han smirked as Chewbacca pressed the trigger, letting loose a salvo of shots that sizzled against the first transport's shields. Chewie's aim was as true as it could be, but none of the shots penetrated the shields. They didn't even scorch the paint. But that wasn't their intention.

Fearing another attack, the Imperial shuttle swerved to the side, and right into the path of Green Leader's missiles, causing it to explode on impact. Their victory was short-lived however, as the second ship had accelerated faster than Han realized was possible, and it managed to bore into the side of the main Rebel Transport. They couldn't fire on it now, or else they would risk blowing both ships up.

...xxXxx...

Obi-Wan strode through the passageways of the Rebel Corvette, with the hilt of his Lightsaber in hand, ready for a fight. Simultaneously he cast out his mind, searching for the Dark Side presence that he could feel prowling the ship. Whoever it was, they clearly where not Vader, or the Emperor. No, this individual felt extremely _weak_ in the Force, similar to a Jedi Apprentice. He reasoned that it could be one of the shadowy Dark Side Assassins he had heard about in the bars on Tatooine. Beings bred to hunt and kill any surviving Jedi Knights, or potential Force sensitives that opposed the Empire.

"Stay behind me," Obi-Wan ordered Luke, who nodded.

"Is it Vader again?" Luke asked, with the fear evident in his voice.

"No," Obi-Wan replied softly, "But you need to _focus_ Luke. Empty your mind of any and all distractions. And ready your weapon. They are on-board," he said as he darted his eyes around. He knew that Luke would be no match for this Assassin, or maybe even a squad of competent Stormtroopers. Which was why Obi-Wan stood in front of him, ready to intercept any attacks that came their way. Because while he was unsure of his ability to fight someone as powerful as Vader again, he knew that this new enemy was no real threat to him.

No, Vader wanted Obi-Wan alive, so he could kill him himself.

"Remember what I taught you," Obi-Wan continued, giving Luke the best on-the spot battlefield training he could give, knowing this was only the third time Luke had even _held_ a lightsaber. "Hold your shoulders tight to your body. Focus your defences on your torso and head. Keep your eyes firmly on your enemy, not the blade."

"Yes sir," Luke replied, igniting his crystal blue blade, even as a squad of white armoured Stormtroopers rounded the corner. Their commander ordered them to halt, obviously being cautious about engaging _two_ Jedi. A smart move on his behalf.

The Stormtroopers fanned out as much as they could, taking up a classic quarter-circle firing position that even the Clone Army had used in it's time. Half of the Stormtroopers got down on one knee, allowing their companions to shoot over their heads.

The corridor soon filled with blaster fire, but Obi-Wan's blade moved in circles, deflecting each and every shot like it was nothing. Out of the corner of his eye, Obi-Wan watched as Luke managed to deflect three shots, a feat that had taken him months of training at the temple. The Stormtrooper's commander was the last to fall, using his last breath to call out their location to any soldiers on board the ship.

Not that it really mattered, because Obi-Wan tensed up as he saw a shadowy silhouette approaching. A lone figure, a Rodian male, he guessed. The Dark Warrior was clad in black armour, complete with a face mask similar to Vader's. He walked with a confident gait, no doubt smirking under his visor as he twirled his odd-looking lightsaber in his hands.

"So," the Inquisitor chuckled. "You _did_ survive the Clone Wars, General Kenobi."

"An observant one," Obi-Wan quipped sharply, "aren't you?"

"Hmmm," the Inquisitor replied as he came to a halt. "Your death will please Lord Vader, I think."

"You seem to be operating under the delusion that you will be leaving this ship," Obi-Wan said firmly as he stepped in front of Luke, shielding him from the Inquisitor, and any surprise attacks he might throw his way. "I have fought your kind before, _assassin._ And I am not impressed."

"We shall see," The Inquisitor chuckled as he assumed a fighting stance, and ignited a second blade on his Lightsaber. Something which would have confused most Jedi, but not Obi-Wan, who had a plethora of encounters with saber-staff wielding opponents.

But the Inquisitor's lightsaber then did something quite unexpected and rather odd. It began to spin around like the blades of a fan. He'd never seen such an odd contraption before. And therefore needed to investigate it further.

Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber, earning a confused tilt of the head from the Inquisitor. Then, with a simple hand motion, he pushed the would-be assassin up onto the ceiling, forcing him to drop his weapon to the ground. With another motion of his hand, he dropped the Inquisitor and called the weapon into his hand.

"What an absurd contraption," Obi-Wan chuckled as he examined the ring-shaped blade. "So impractical! Don't tell me," he said as he smirked at the Inquisitor. "Can it make you fly?"

With a scowl and a roar, the Inquisitor jumped to his feet and attempted to charge the two of them, while still attempting to use the Force to break Obi-Wan's grip on his weapon. That did not happen, and a swift stroke of his blue blade cut the Inquisitor down before he could come any closer.

...xxXxx...

Han sped the _Millennium Falcon_ through the Rebel Battle-group, bucking and weaving the ship in order to avoid the barrage of fire coming from two TIE Defenders, which where hot on his tail. No matter what he did, he couldn't quite shake their tail on him. Not even enough to start properly trading shots with them. The two pilots where smart enough to know how to stay out of his lines of fire.

And their shots where doing some serious damage to his baby. If he hadn't re-routed all non-essential power towards the rear deflector shields he knew he's be dead in space, an easy target for the two ships to pick off.

Similarly, he could see Green Leader having some troubles of her own, trying to shake her two pursuers. Only one of the Defenders had been taken out, thanks to a point-blank shot from the Rebel carrier. And the rest of Green Squadron was too busy dealing with a third wave of TIE fighters to be of any assistance. It would be a few more minutes before he could rely on their help.

So Han did what he always did.

He improvised.

"Chewie, I'm going to reverse the thrusters," he said as they continued to skim along through the Rebel Battle-group. "Set us up for a roll. We're going to throw their targeting computers off a bit!" Chewie grunted his response, but did as instructed. Space around him began to spin wildly as they decelerated rapidly.

Not expecting this, both Defenders shot out in front of him, providing an easy target. Which they did. The first TIE Defender exploded in a shower of sparks. Obviously, the Pilot hadn't had the time to properly power it's rear deflector shields to full, after using auxiliary power to match the _Millennium Falcon's_ raw speed. However, the second Defender took off before he could get in a clear shot, instead only grazing one of it's wings.

Now having reversed the situation, Han cackled as he chased his quarry through space. The _Falcon_ was clearly the faster ship. However, the Defender was far more agile. It was able to turn and bank at much tighter angles than Han could. It was a harrowing chase.

The Defender pilot was using the large Rebel ships to it's advantage, preventing Han from achieving full speed, while still keeping his advantage. However, it couldn't get to close to any of the larger ships, or it would risk being shot down like it's two wingmen.

" _Green Leader, Falcon!"_ the Rebel Commander called out, _"_ _That Star Destroyer is bearing down on us! It will be in firing range in less than two minutes! You need to take care of those Defenders!"_

" _We know, Commander!"_ Green Leader snapped back briskly. _"_ _Falcon, any suggestions?"_

"Uh..." Han replied, trying to analyze the situation. There had to be some way of getting all three Imperial ships in their sights at once. However, the pilots where too crafty. Almost on cue, his ship began to rattle. While he was distracted, the Defender had managed to loop around him, and was not back in it's original firing position, taking pot shots at his engines.

Which, surprisingly, gave Han an idea.

"Green Leader!" he said, "you ever done a ' _Kreena Run?'"_

" _I like the way you think,_ Falcon," Green Leader chuckled, " _head for our Hammerhead!"_

"On it!" Han replied as he rolled the _Millennium Falcon_ out of the way of a barrage of shots, and began to make a straight beeline for the Hammerhead ship as a smile cracked his face. He was going to make the TIE pilot pay for shooting his ship in the most glorious way possible. "Coming from below, Green Leader," he said as he skimmed the _Falcon_ along the underside of the much larger ship, before swerving up the side. He took in a deep breath, knowing that if he, or Green Leader, was off by a few degrees it could spell disaster.

The _Millennium Falcon_ shot out above the Hammerhead cruiser, just fast enough to avoid Green Leader's Freighter by a few meters. They where lucky. The TIE's where not.

The one that had been chasing Han was too cocky, and too focused on is target. He never got the chance to notice two of his companions before it was too late. All three ships collided, destroying one another in a brilliant explosion. "Got 'em!" Han exclaimed.

" _Great flying, Millennium Falcon,"_ Green Leader acknowledged. _"_ _Now, let's take care of the Star Destroyer! Green Five! Green Three! Form up behind me, and make a run for the Destroyer's shield generator! We need to knock it out before we lay those charges!"_ Han chuckled as he fell into a loose formation behind Green Squadron. It had certainly been a long time since he had flown with so many ships at his side.

"Green Squadron," Han called out as Chewie left the cockpit, heading towards the centre cargo bay, where the two bombs where located, "be advised that my gunner will have to manually release the charges. My ability to shoot and fly will be limited."

" _Roger that, Falcon. We'll keep them off you,"_ Green Leader replied as all four ships zipped towards the much larger Imperial warship. Thankfully, most of it's TIE fighters had already been deployed, and where either already engaged in battle, or had been blown to smithereens. Only three TIE's managed to break off. One standard and two interceptors. Easily outmatched by the four Rebel ships, even as they where forced to bob and weave through a hailstorm of fire from the Star Destroyer.

Han nervously looked at the _Millennium Falcon's_ system status, carefully eyeing the blaring red signal that told him his engines where damaged, and that he was loosing fuel. They only had enough for one run.

But one run was all they needed.

" _Release Ion charges now!"_ Green Leader barked, as blue spheres dropped out of the Rebel ships, and struck the Imperial warship, disabling it's shields for a few seconds. The few seconds that they needed to properly release the bombs.

"Chewie, now!" Han shouted, hearing a roar of a response, as both seismic charges where released into open space. "they're clear! Go!" he said, accelerating the _Millennium Falcon_ to it's top speed, directly away from the impending explosion. Two seconds ticked by before a gigantic pressure-wave hit him. The bombs had detonated off the Star Destroyer's starboard side, severely crippling it, if not outright destroying it. One of the A-wings managed to get caught in it's wake, but the other, as well as Green Leader's ship, flew up beside Han, signalling their approval.

With a nervous gulp, he looked back at the Rebel Battle-group. About one-third of the ships had been disabled or destroyed by TIE fighters. A part of him wished that he could have saved more, but another was just glad that so many where free to leave the system. With the rest of Green Squadron, he docked in the largest remaining ship, before it blasted off into hyperspace.


	3. Old & New friends

Luke Skywalker was utterly blown away for the thousandth time in five days. The universe seemed to keep wanting to throw new things in his direction, each one as much of a surprise as the last.

"So. Many. Trees." He said as he descended the ramp of the Corvette, which was safely nestled in something Luke never thought he would ever see in his lifetime. A Forest.

Sure, Tatooine _did_ have trees. Small pockets of them, scattered far and wide, most of them located on the northern and southern poles of the planet. But here, he knew he had already seen, touched and smelled more trees than his Aunt or Uncle ever had. He found himself running his hands over the rough bark of the first few trees. Despite the odd looks he got from the majority of the Rebels as they disembarked their transports.

They didn't understand what it was like for him to go from living in a desert, or the 'Galaxy's ass-crack' as some of the locals called it, to walking through such a dense Forest teeming with so much life. With every step he took, there was something new under his boots. Mud. Grass. Leaves. Things that where a rare occurrence back home.

The transports they had arrived in where well-hidden under the tall trees, spreading out in an improvised landing strip that stretched for several miles.

On their way down, Leia had explained that the rolling hills and tall trees would hide their vessels from a planetary scan. The only way they where going to be found by the Empire is if they did a flyover with TIE fighters. And since there where thousands of planets that they could be hiding on, the chances of that where highly unlikely. Especially since Naboo was 'supposedly' a very pro-Empire planet. They paid their taxation rates. They supplied materials at a low cost for the Military. They where a fly on the wall that was the Empire.

All so they could avoid having the Empire's watchful eye hover over them.

Ahead of him, Obi-Wan trotted alongside the old man who had accosted Luke back on Yavin. Supposedly they where old friends. Luke of course wanted to know more, but didn't want to be rude, and simply hung back, hoping to hear more than a few random words. All he had heard so far where the words 'Wolfe', 'Seelos', 'Malachor,' and 'Tano'. Obi-Wan seemed to be especially saddened at the mention of the latter.

Knowing he wasn't going to get anything out of the old men, Luke decided to hang back a little more, falling into stride beside Han and Chewie. One look was all it took for Luke to know that Han was clearly upset about having to leave his 'baby' up in space in the hands of a crew of Rebel droids on board the largest vessel, which wouldn't be able to land on the planet without attracting unwanted attention. So it was forced to remain in deep space, far away from prying eyes, with a crew comprised of only droids to take care of it.

"So you decided to come back," Luke chuckled, shaking his head as he spoke. "I knew there was more to you than _money."_

"Don't be getting all mushy on me kid," Han shot back as the group of about two hundred trotted through the trees, "half the reason I'm still here is because the _Falcon's_ engines are busted."

"And the other half is?" Princess Leia's response came as she snuck up behind the two of them.

"Are we going to walk all the way there?" Han said, effectively changing the course of the conversation.

"No," Leia smirked, "well. I'm not. You can. I'm sure you're comfortable here," she said, motioning to the mud around them. "wallowing in familiar company," she said, before walking away with a scoff.

"I don't think she likes you very much," Luke whispered to Han, causing Chewie to let out something that sounded like a hearty laugh. Han shot him a death-glare, but that only made Chewie laugh even harder.

A laugh that was cut short too soon, as about three dozen warriors manifested themselves out of the trees. They where tall, bipedal, roughly reptilian with long, floppy ears that draped down their necks. About half of them carried sharp spears, while others carried strange blue orbs in slings. Several where also mounted on strange, orange bipedal beasts decorated with large, ornate feathers.

" _Yousa stoppen right there!"_ the tallest warrior said threateningly, jabbing his spear towards them. " _Yousa should noten be here! Thisen-!"_

"We are here under the invite of Queen Ruwee," one of the alliance leaders replied, earning a series of murmurs from the indigenous warriors. "I am general Jan Dodanna, of the _Rebel Alliance._ We are refugees from-"

"Wesa knowen of yousa," the lead warrior said curtly, with respect as he bowed his head. "Mesa General Gobaanen! Wesa taken yousa to Parley! There, yousa be taken to da Queen. Follow mesa!" With that, the primitive warriors, which Luke thought looked a lot like tall versions of womp rats, surrounded the group, offering them an escort. Though their presence was not tolerated by everyone.

"I know, I know, Chewie," Han whispered, after the Wookie let out a series of low grumbles, expressing his distaste for the new arrivals. "I don't much like Gungans either. But we _are_ on Naboo. So just...play nice. Hopefully we won't be stuck here too long."

They walked for what seemed like the better part of a day, as none of the transports they had brought planetside with them where suitable to carry speeders, only personnel and a few rations. The little rations they did have where quickly dispersed through the large group. Luke got a piece of strange-looking fruit, the first real meal he had had since...breakfast back on the Farm five days ago. It was a miracle that he hadn't passed out from starvation yet!

He smiled a bit as he took a bite of the fruit, finding it to be much sweeter than anything he had ever tasted before in his miserable life. A small part of him began to wonder if _anyone_ in his family had ever tasted such a delicacy.

...xxXxx...

It had taken many hours before the Rebel survivors reached the city of Parley. A quaint, niche little settlement on the Nabooian and Gungan boarder. Obi-Wan had only been there once before, during the height of the Clone Wars, searching for any remaining Battle-Droids after the Blue Shadow Virus debacle. Luckily none had been found.

Walking through the lush forest was a pleasant, welcome change for the tired Jedi Master. Twenty years of walking in the desert gave him new appreciation for trees. And to be in familiar company was a welcome change.

"...I got back in," Rex said, continuing his long-winded tale, "after this sorry lot found me, Wolfe and Gregor hiding out in the Outer Rim. They convinced me it was worthwhile...as did Ahsoka." he said, with a hint of regret in his voice. Not surprising, given how close the two of them where during the Clone Wars. More than once, Obi-Wan had been tempted to remind the young Padawan of the Jedi Order's view on attachments, especially personal ones.

"So," Obi-Wan found himself chuckling, "she's the reason behind all of this? Ahsoka helped found the Rebel Alliance?" he asked, shielding the true intent of his question with the facade of laughter. If she really was still around, fighting on the front lines of this civil war, he wanted to find her, and speak with her as soon as possible. There was a lot he would need to say, regarding his disappearance, Anakin's fate and the future of Anakin's twins.

However, his hopes where dashed when he saw the look that crossed Rex's face.

"Darth Vader killed her on Malachor," Rex said steadily, obviously trying to hold back bad memories. "She sacrificed herself, from what Kanan and Ezra told me. She stayed behind, so they would be able to escape." Obi-Wan could clearly see the old soldier holding back a tear, in spite of himself. Reaching out a hand, he patted his longtime friend on the shoulder.

"There was nothing you could have done Rex," he said with a pang of regret. He wondered if Ahsoka had learned the horrible truth before being mercilessly cut down by her former Master. Secretly, he hoped not, because that knowledge would have only brought her pain and suffering. Just like it had to him. "You would have been killed too."

"I know," Rex nodded. "I know."

"Excuse me, Master Jedi," Hera Syndulla, the one who had brought Rex to him, piped up. "I'm not trying to be rude, but...where have you been all these years? Senator Organa confirmed your death personally." Obi-Wan sighed deeply. It was a fair question, to be sure. A question that he was sure he would be answering hundreds of times in the coming days. And all that he could do was give the plainest, simplest answer possible.

"I made a promise to an old friend," he replied as they continued to walk. "After the fall of the Republic, and the Order, I knew that I alone would be no match for this new regime," he continued slowly, noticing how all ears in the vicinity had subtly turned towards him. But he paid them little heed. "So I knew that I had to wait, and wait I did."

"Millions where dying every day," Hera snapped back, in a way that Obi-Wan knew was somewhat deserved. "And you thought it was best to wait? Why not confront the Emperor and Vader head-on yourself? Why didn't you at least _try_ to-!"

" _Hera!"_ Rex scolded fiercely, shoving the Twi'lek woman back a step.

"Easy, old friend," Obi-Wan said, calming the situation at hand. "I know what I did. I know that many suffered as a consequence of my actions. Of my _failures."_ Noticing that Luke had joined the casual eavesdroppers, he decided to elaborate with his _version_ of events. "I tracked Vader to Mustafar, mere hours after the Jedi Temple was sacked. There, we fought in a vicious duel and he..." Obi-Wan paused as he looked for the right words, "he _killed_ Anakin. And I only managed to wound him before the Emperor's shuttle arrived. I knew I was in no shape to fight him then and there. I knew I would never be powerful enough on my own. So I went into hiding, until such a time that I felt the Galaxy stood a fighting chance against the Empire. Which is _now."_ Rex seemed content with his answer. Hera still raised an eyebrow. Luke looked eager for more. But Obi-wan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he had said enough, at least, to distract them as they finally entered the Naboo city of Parley.

Just as wandering through the Forest had been, the City was a nice change of pace from the bowels of Mos Espa, Anchorhead and Mos Eisley. Instead of drunken brigands and thugs wandering the streets, there were welcoming vendors selling a variety of wares. The whimsical laughter of small children playing in the streets trickled into his old ears. By the Force, he had missed that sound!

Their arrival sparked a change in the wandering Rebels, who quickly did their collective best to hide any weapons they had on their person. They didn't want to appear any more suspicious than they already did. Many tucked blasters into coats, into pants and in deep satchels while others simply tried to hide themselves in the large crowd as best they could. The Gungan General, Gobaanen, walked them over to a shopkeeper, and the two of them exchanged quick words, along with a slain animal that one Gungan drew from a primitive looking sack. The Shopkeeper then went into the back of his store, and returned with three younger men covered in grease stains. Judging by how much the three young men resembled the older one, Obi-Wan surmised that they where three sons and a father.

"We can't take you all," one of the young men said plainly. "Not right away, at least. We've only got three speeders right now, so we'll have to do it in trips. Thing is," he said as he looked back at one of his brothers, who mouthed something to him. "It'll take us five hours just to _get_ to Theed. So only thirty people are going to be there tonight."

"That's fine," a Rebel Commander replied, "How much will it cost us to-?"

"It won't," the tallest of the brothers said quickly. "Our mother was on Alderaan. Now, decide who's coming and who's staying the night and then we can get going."

It didn't take much time for a decision to be made regarding who stayed and who left. Everyone agreed that it was far more important for the Rebellion Command Staff to go, as well as any injured or sick members who needed medical attention.

In less than five minutes, Obi-Wan boarded one of the transports, alongside Luke, Leia and several others. Somewhat thankfully, this transport was designed with a certain amount of luxury in mind. The seats where cushioned and the air was regulated to a comfortable temperature. A cabinet of multi-coloured drinks sat to his left, though he did not touch them, save to pass them around to other weary individuals.

Due to the abundance of passengers, most where required to sit on the floor of the transport, while only a few lucky ones managed to take actual seats. And, being aware of his luck, Obi-Wan politely folded his legs together in a Jedi Meditation, giving more room to those around him. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the Force around him.

"You look pretty spry," a young woman chirped up as she slid down against the hull of the transport. "For an old man. What're you, sixty?" She asked, as Obi-Wan turned his gaze towards her. She was the same young woman who'd been with Rex during their reunion. _Sabine,_ he remembered her name was. A quick glance at her paint-splattered armour told him that she was Mandalorian. A quick test from him would tell him if she was a _true_ Mandalorian, however.

"I am," he said, before switching to the old tongue of Mandalore, initiating an old greeting he had learned from his time on the planet. " _Ehtelë meeti, iel ioo Mandalore. Lótesse tye túc valief nuktoo_ _tye're nosse,"_ (Well Met, Daughter of Mandalore, may your bring greatness onto your clan) She snapped her head around to look at him directly.

" _Tye polea_ _quetu_ _Beskar?"_ (You can speak Mandalorian?) Sabine replied, sounding somewhat surprised. In a good way, at least. _"_ _Ni dukar_ _osán napa_ _Je'di shodal_ _mére ana emlera_ _iffe_ _lambe."_ (I didn't think a Jedi would want to learn it.)

" _Yare tye've entpee_ _limbe lú asta_ _tye'u_ _nórë ve ni care, tye cast ana alreean qu'liee, vinya er,"_ (When you've spent as much time with your people as I have, you tend to learn quickly.) he said with a small nod in her direction. Their conversation didn't go unnoticed by anyone, however. Even as the transport roared to life, Obi-wan could hear the hushed whispers of those around them, pondering what the two of them where saying. "I spent some time on Mandalore," Obi-Wan said, in Galactic Basic for all to hear. "I became _fairly_ acquainted with the culture there. Mostly out of necessity."

"Necessity?" Sabine replied with a tilt of her head.

"The other option was becoming filled with blaster bolts and vibro-blades," Obi-Wan chuckled as he relaxed his posture. He was not among enemies, and could afford to let his guard down a little bit. Though he did find himself examining her armour to a certain extent. She was certainly a talented artist, judging by the amount of personalized styling that had been sprayed all over her armour. Stylized representations of a wide variety of animals covered her chest, forearms and shoulders. Her helmet bore the telltale markings of the _Night Owl_ cadre of warriors, a group he had crossed paths with previously.

However, his attention was quickly drawn to the _two_ lightsaber hilts hanging from her belt, hidden just behind a pair of holstered blasters. Most people wouldn't take notice of them, most likely mistaking them for some type of tool. With a quick glance of his mind's eye, he could feel that she was in no way force-sensitive, dismissing the notion that one of the blades was her own. He guessed that she had collected it from the _'_ _Jedi Friend'_ she, Hera and Rex kept alluding too. But Obi-Wan had no intention of discussing the subject at all. Despite the rich, bloody history he had with the one blade, and the pain it had caused him. He simply leaned back, and rested his head against his seat.

...xxXxx...

Wilhuff Tarkin was not a man who was easily intimidated.

He frequently stood int he presence of Sheev Palpatine without flinching. He could walk over dozens upon dozens of corpses with an upturned nose. He had ordered the deaths of millions personally.

He was no stranger to the gruesome, cruel world that came from a galaxy at war.

But the sight of Darth Vader holding a Rebel Pilot in the air by his throat, surrounded by the dead bodies of his companions was almost enough to give him pause for thought. At any rate, he was more than happy to not be the victim of the Dark Lord's wrath.

"I will not repeat myself, Pilot," Vader hissed as he lifted the man higher into the air. " _Where_ are the Rebels headed?"

"I..." the Rebel Pilot struggled to say, as he gasped for air. "I...not tell you anything..." Furious, Vader tossed the man to the floor with a loud _snap!_ Which told Tarkin that the man had broken one of his knees on the cold, hard floor of the Imperial Star Destroyer. He moaned in pain, but was cut short as a blood-red lightsaber ignited not far from his neck.

The pilot's eyes where soon quickly drawn to the alluring blade as Vader strafed his crumpled body.

"Your resolve is impressive," Vader hissed as he inched the blade closer to the man's neck. "Most impressive. You would have made a _fine_ Imperial Pilot, I think," the Dark Lord said as one of Tarkin's subordinate Officers discretely approached, using his superior as a shield from Vader's view.

"Governor," the man whispered, "urgent call from...well, sir... _him_. In your private quarters, sir."

"Understood." Tarkin replied curtly. "Inform _him_ that I will be there shortly. Lord Vader and I have some unfinished business to attend to." As he spoke, the Rebel Pilot screamed in pain, as Vader pressed his foot down on the man's shin, crushing it like it was nothing.

"My patience runs _thin_ Pilot. Tell me-" Vader growled.

"Imperial Dog!" the Pilot shouted back, "I'll-!" Tarkin never got to know what the man was going to say, because in a flash, Vader slashed his lightsaber hilt through the man's neck, severing it from his shoulders with ease. The body crumpled to the ground in an instant, and Tarkin knew he was of no more use there. He bowed low to Vader, out of respect, before making his leave. Two Imperial Stormtroopers flanked him as he walked.

As they walked, Tarkin surmised their situation. He had, of course, ordered a full diagnostic system scan of the Death Star, which was now under a heavy guard of _Twelve_ Imperial Star Destroyers, commanded by himself, of course. They had managed to catch a little under one-third of the Rebel Fleet as they fled the Yavin System, before the planet was obliterated into dust by the Super-weapon. Several of the captured ships managed to detonate before their crew where captured, while others where not so lucky.

Tarkin guessed that the ships had pre-programed hyperspace coordinates entered into their systems before takeoff, and that the crew where unaware of their _exact_ destination. A tactic that Tarkin admired, to a degree. It would allow the Rebellion to survive a little bit longer. Perhaps just long enough for him to put his machinations into action.

They came to a heavy door, which was guarded by two imposing Death Troopers. A momentary standoff ensued between the two sets of guards. Death Troopers where not well liked by regular Stormtroopers. And vice-versa. Not that Tarkin really cared, so long as both groups did their jobs properly.

"Code Cylinders," one of the Death Troopers snapped as he extended a hand, "now." Tarkin obliged, handing over the small devices that where clipped to his uniform. They where inspected, and found to be authentic, allowing him to pass. Only him, as the Stormtroopers where forced to wait outside. Only a handful of individuals in the Galaxy even knew the room he was in existed. And he could name them all.

Inside was a barren room, with only a single table and chair. However, no less than twelve holo-projectors where inside, three of which where currently in use. The projected bodies of Admiral Motti, Admiral Sloane and Admiral Thrawn all stared back at him as he calmly took his seat.

"Gentlemen," he said, nodding to both Thrawn and Motti. "Lady," he said, nodding to Sloane.

"How goes the hunt for the Rebel Fleet, Governor?" Motti shot back, with a glimmer in his eye, which Tarkin simply ignored. Motti had suggested time and time again that they abandon the Death Star project time and time again in favour of mounting a better offensive against the Rebel Front. "I hear you had them all under your nose, and yet they escaped!"

"As they did on Rodia, Nar Shadda and Kashyyk," Sloane added in, rubbing Motti's most recent failures in his face with a smug grin. "We will find them, Governor. And we _will_ eliminate them. And then the Empire will truly be at peace."

"Which was why I called you here today," Tarkin replied, taking the reins of the conversation firmly in his hands. He examined the holograms of the three Admirals carefully. What he was about to say was perhaps the riskiest thing he had ever, or would ever, say in his lifetime. It made him almost as nervous as Vader did. "I believe the time has come to discuss the _true_ future of the Empire." Both Sloane and Motti exchanged a quick glance, while Thrawn stared right back at Tarkin with sharp eyes. Collectively, the four of them where among the most powerful, influential and skilled leaders in the Empire, behind Vader and the Emperor. And they where the only ones that Tarkin trusted to keep what he was saying an absolute secret. And not just because he had knowledge that would get them all executed if made public. It was because they represented what the Empire could be, if allowed to grow to it's full potential.

"Careful, Governor," Motti said, "you are close to committing treason."

"Am I?" Tarkin replied simply as he folded his hands together. "As you may well know, our esteemed Emperor is in fact, a Dark Lord of the Sith." The others nodded. It was not common knowledge within the Empire that both Vader and the Emperor where Sith Lords. Most merely thought that they where simply very scary men. But not Tarkin's personal inner circle. "Consider, my friends, how complacent the _Jedi_ order became after holding onto their power for so long. They allowed the Galaxy to grow weak, so that they alone seemed to be strong." Everyone present nodded in slight agreement. Which was good, because it meant Tarkin was less likely to loose his head.

"Are you suggesting that someone overthrows the Emperor?" Thrawn chuckled, clasping his hands together as he spoke. "No one in the Empire has _that_ kind of power, Governor."

"No one individual," Sloane commented. "You command the Seventh Fleet, Admiral. I command the Ninth. Admiral Motti oversees the Eigth, Tenth and Fourteenth. And the Governor here," she said, motioning to Tarkin with one hand. "Has command over the entire Outer Rim, the Third, Fourth and Fifth Fleet, is soon to command one of three Super Star Destroyers _and,"_ she continued intently, "holds command over the single most powerful weapon in the known Galaxy." Thrawn nodded his head, in slight agreement, which indicated to Tarkin that he could continue.

"I am not saying that this will be an easy task," Tarkin said, spilling the first few details of the plans he had been cultivating for years. "It won't be. But this Empire is _worth it._ If we can sway others to our side, our task will be much easier."

"Others?" Thrawn asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Other Admirals," Tarkin replied, "Regional Governors. Special Forces Commanders. Perhaps even a few members of the Emperor's inner circle. Mas Amedda I know would be most useful to our cause. Not to mention-"

"Vader," Sloane cut in. "You know we will need Vader to help bring down the Emperor." Both Motti and Thrawn groaned at this, and Tarkin was glad that he wasn't the one who'd brought this fact up. Yes, they would be needing Darth Vader's help eventually, especially if it came down to a full-on confrontation with the Emperor. Not only was Vader one of the few beings in the known galaxy that could last more than a few seconds against Palpatine's fury, but he also had the loyalty of the majority of the Stormtrooper corps. Especially the highly-regarded 501st Legion, a military force that even Tarkin feared, even though he had some of it's members at his disposal.

Knowing that they needed to keep the meeting short in order to keep the secrecy, Tarkin stood up. "I believe it is time to cease our discussions," Tarkin said with authority. "Until our next encounter. I will contact you all with the exact details. Are we in agreement?" He didn't really wait for a reply, as his hand was already hovering towards the switch that would end their transmission as they agreed.

..xxXxx..

Obi-Wan felt the force ripple around him in the darkness. He was alone, as he had requested to be. For the first time in several days, he began to properly meditate. So much had changed in the past few days for him. He had gone from being a desert rat to his old war-hero self. He just needed the time to think.

And to talk things out.

" _Hello, Obi-wan,"_ said the ghost of his former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn as for the first time, he _physically_ appeared before him. A feat which, in Jinn's own words, was impossible. Obi-Wan nearly wept a tear at the sight of his old Master. Not counting a strange apparition on the planet Mortis, it had been nearly thirty years since he'd last seen him. Ironically not far from the dark room in which Obi-Wan was sitting.

"Master..." Obi-Wan choked, at a complete loss for words. "How...?"

"My spirit is tied to this place," Qui-Gon answered with one of his quirky smiles. "My connection to it...to _you,_ makes this possible," he said, as he sat down across from Obi-Wan. And immediately, Qui-Gon's ghostly face changed to a more sour expression. "I can sense the conflict within you Obi-Wan, let it out, lest it destroy you."

Taking in a deep breath, Obi-Wan voiced his many concerns. Concerns about his ability to assist the Rebellion. Concerns about if he was the right teacher for Luke. Concerns about his failure to deal with Darth Vader. Everything that had been piling up for the last nineteen years spilled out all in one long-winded rant. And Qui-Gon was the perfect listener. He did not interrupt him as he went on and on about the many woes he had caused the galaxy. About the net of lies and half-truths he had spun around himself. Until Obi-Wan stopped, of course.

"After all these years," Qui-Gon said with the smallest chuckle, "you _still_ carry the weight of the Galaxy on your shoulders, Obi-Wan."

"As I should," Obi-Wan replied hastily. "This is all-"

"It is _not_ your fault, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon half-snapped back at him, like he had back when Obi-Wan had first become his apprentice, and was prone to overestimating his abilities. "Of all the beings in the Galaxy, little fault falls on you my apprentice. Yes," his former Master nodded, "there are things you could have done that would have prevented this. But neither you, nor any but the living Force itself had any prior knowledge of the effect your actions would have on the Galaxy at large. I myself could have averted these events, had I merely left Anakin on Tatooine. But I chose not to, and there is nothing that I can do to change that. All we can do is learn from the past, to make ourselves a better future, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan nodded, feeling like he was Fourty-five years younger and still being schooled like a youngling who'd been toying around with his training lightsaber. "But Master...what should I do? I know I have to train Luke...but how much do I tell him? Do I tell him the whole-?" As suddenly as their conversation began, it ended as the doors to the room flew open, breaking Obi-Wan's concentration. In an instant, the older Jedi spun around, leaping to his feet with his hand flying to his lightsaber hilt.

Only to find a haggard-looking man in front of him. To say he was standing was not entirely accurate. His right foot and entire left leg where missing, replaced by mismatched prosthetics. In fact, most of his left side seemed to be scarred and deformed in some way or another. Obi-Wan counted two missing fingers on his hand. A brown mask covered his eyes, concealing his identity from most, but not from him.

Obi-Wan reached deep into the Force to feel this man's presence, finding that the Force flowed through him. That, added to the Lightsaber hanging from his hip, was more than enough to confirm some of his identity. A deeper plunge into the man's Force-signature rubbed Obi-wan up against a plethora of familiar presences.

"Master Kenobi?" the man, who Obi-Wan had remembered as merely a boy during the Clone Wars, said as he stepped forward. Obi-Wan caught him in the arm. "You're alive? By the Force... But... how?"

"Who...?" Obi-Wan replied, unsure of the man's identity beyond his potent Force-signature. Of course, he could have met him a long time ago. Based on his age, Obi-Wan guessed that he would have been but a Padawan at the time of the purge.

"Kanan J.." the man said, pausing and shaking his head. "I _was_ Caleb Dume. Padawan to-"

"Depa Bellaba," Obi-Wan recalled correctly, remembering the young Jedi who had, coincidentally, given him the idea to re-calibrate the Jedi Order's broadcast signal all those years ago. A smile cracked his lips as the two embraced in a tight handshake. "I remember," he said as he recalled the renowned Jedi Council Member who had often butted heads with Qui-Gon. He looked the man over again, wondering what dangers he had come across, what battles he had fought that had scarred him so. But he put those thoughts in the back of his mind, happy to have something else to focus on in the moment, washing away his worries about Luke and Leia's future, and the state of the Galaxy at whole.

 _ **A/N: Yeah, I know this chapter came out quickly, after the last one. I just got such a rush from seeing the Rebels S3 Finale/S4 trailer, plus the trailers for 'Last Jedi (which I saw live!)' and Battlefront II. They gave me so many ideas!**_

 _ ***Side note: I'm not taking the Season 4 trailer of Rebels into consideration while writing this story, because so many things can be interpreted in different ways by different people. Besides I'm 99.99% sure my version of events is already going to be different than Disney's/Lucasfilm's.**_

 _ **Please feel free to tell me in a review if you like the general direction this story is going in (and if there's anything you'd like me to change before it's too late)**_

 _ **My next uploads will be 'Marvel: Reborn' and the long-delayed 'Star Wars: Malevolent Darkness'**_


	4. Just a long day

Luke Skywalker was experiencing the exact opposite of a good night's rest.

He tossed and turned. He tugged at the thin sheet Leia had given him to cover himself with. It didn't help, as he was too cold. Apparently living on a desert planet for Nineteen years had that effect. So he huddled in on himself, trying to conserve his warmth, perhaps for the first time in his life. He did alright, even though shivers still rolled down his body.

But those shivers weren't from the cold.

" _Luke,"_ A woman's voice called out to him from the darkness.

Things flashed behind his closed eyes. Things he couldn't quite make sense of. Images and sounds. Mostly inconsequential things, random conversations between people he'd never seen or met before. He could ignore those. But he could not ignore the frightening ones. The same devilish warrior that he had seen during the escape from Yavin stalked his dreams, twirling his deadly lightsaber in vicious arcs. The air became filled with red blaster bolts as desperate men and women fought hard against a force of tan brown droids intent on wiping them out.

In the middle of the fray two men and a woman stood out. The men wielded Lightsabers, and managed to destroy every droid in their path like they where nothing. But the woman intrigued him. Every time he tried to force his dream to focus on her, she blurred out of focus.

" _Luke,"_ the woman's voice repeated.

There was very little he could tell about the woman. From the way she shouted, and how others listened, he knew that she was a figure of great authority. Everything about the way she moved spoke of great, personal power. Yet at the same time, he could see compassion, as she dragged an injured pilot into safe cover. In some ways, she reminded him of Leia.

But his interest in the woman did not help his sleep. He could feel the cold around him, encasing him in a cocoon of darkness. It threatened to suffocate him. To snuff out his life forever.

He rolled over again, careful not to disturb the others resting in the same large room as he was. Once they had arrived in the Capitol city of Theed, they had been given three large rooms to spread themselves out in for sleeping. Currently that meant about ten people per room, more once the bulk of the Rebels arrived.

More images flashed before his eyes. Not of the same battle, but of a young man. He wore dark, elaborate clothes as he strode down the very hallway outside the room Luke was sleeping in. The air around him was cold, like the vacuum of space. And his icy blue eyes flashed through the air, cutting through anyone he stared at as much as any lightsaber. He seemed to bore straight into Luke's soul, even through the dream-world.

" _Wipe them out. All of them."_

Luke awoke with a cold, sweaty start. He sat upright, and immediately looked around, hoping that he had not disturbed anyone in their sleep. He had not. The only sign of movement that he could see was a Rebel Pilot turning over in his sleep.

Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he tried to collect himself. He knew he was not in any danger. According to Rebel Intelligence, there where almost no Imperial Sympathizers on Naboo, even before the destruction of their sister planet of Alderaan. And the Palace itself had very strict screening procedures, weeding out any remaining spies with ease.

Slowly, he got to his feet, careful not to make a peep. Luckily he had plenty of experience being so quiet. Back on Tatooine, his Uncle had always been a very light sleeper. More than once he had woken to the sound of Luke doing something as innocuous as using the refresher, or grabbing something to drink. How frightened he had been one night to feel the cold metal of his Uncle's blaster rifle resting against his skull while he foraged for some blue milk!

Stepping out into the empty hallway, Luke allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief. He could feel his heart beating in his chest as he leaned against the wall. There was nothing for him to be afraid of. It was only a dream. A nightmare brought on by the stress of the past few days. Nothing that wouldn't be swept away by a walk through the early-morning streets of Theed.

It was still fairly early in the morning. The sun had yet to even peak over the horizon, so most of the City was encased in shadows. Which was nice.

He'd only ever been outside in a city like this once before in his life, when his Aunt and Uncle where forced to travel to Arkanis to retrieve some very specialized parts for the farm. It was one of his most treasured memories. But Theed blew the city of Arkani away by a hundred parsec's.

Even in the young hours of the morning, the city was already waking up. Shop vendors where getting ready to open their doors. People where heading off to work. Security guards patrolled the streets with lazy eyes, like they knew that no one was going to be causing any trouble. A part of Luke was absolutely astonished that things seemed to be so... _normal_ for the people. His whole world had changed so drastically in the past few days, but these people acted like nothing was different.

Of course, there was nothing different to them. At least, nothing on the surface. But he, on the other hand, knew that things where different. And he didn't have to look far for proof. He only had to look down.

He'd been given a set of standardized Rebel garb, another gift from Leia, to wear. He was grateful, because he'd been wearing the same tattered outfit for almost six days, including when he'd been dragged under the water by the creature in the Death Star's garbage compactor. But the garb was not that strange to him, he'd worn similar outfits before.

No, the strange thing was the fact that he was carrying _weapons!_ Not the antique long blaster his Uncle had shown him how to use, or the small zapper he'd been told to carry whenever he went to the city. But an actual Military-grade blaster, which hung in a holster over his left leg. Sure, it wasn't as impressive as some of the weapons he saw other Rebels carrying, but he had a feeling that he'd upgrade eventually. Maybe he just had to earn their trust more. Saving Leia would only take him so far, after all.

On the other side of his belt, he'd clipped his Father's lightsaber. It hung at his side proudly, like Obi-Wan wore his. And how he imagined that his Father had worn it before him. He smirked at the thought of becoming a great and powerful Jedi Warrior, hoping to live up to his family legacy.

He continued his walk through Theed's main streets, admiring the great stone-work around him. Many sculptors must have slaved away at such beauty for many days. He felt a small tear drop down his cheek as he realized just how much Aunt Beru would have loved to see what he was seeing. For a farmer's wife, she had always been a very culturally minded individual, turning scrap metal into sculptures of various shapes and sizes, including a very realistic model of Tosche Station. Uncle Owen would have hated it, sure. But he would _never_ have the guts to say anything out loud within earshot of his wife, or else he'd risk going hungry for a week.

His walk wound him around a large water-fountain, which had a plethora of coins underneath the water. One of Luke's first instincts was to jump in headfirst. On Tatooine, that was practically mandatory whenever one saw so much water in one place, not including moisture collection tanks. But, looking around, Luke somehow knew that would be extremely taboo here. So he settled for simply sitting down by the edge, and running his hand through the water, revelling in just how cool the temperature was on his hand. He brushed his fingers against the layer of coins at the bottom, resisting the urge to pocket them for future use. It was wrong, and he knew it.

Instead he pondered his dream. Looking around, he could see the similarity in architecture. Which told him that for some reason, he'd been dreaming about a battle happening on Naboo itself. Which was odd, considering that aside from Security Officers, and the newly arrived Rebel Soldiers, there where no signs of war anywhere. His thoughts wandered to the man he had seen, and shivers ran down his spine even thinking about him. Something about him just gave off an 'evil' vibe to him that Luke couldn't quite explain.

Again, as before, he tried to do his best to simply shrug his feelings off as nothing more than stress from the past few days. Instead he continued to look around the small cull-DE-sac, as a few individuals trickled in. Mostly merchants and traders, with a few children thrown in the mix. But there was one individual who stood out like a sore thumb.

A Gungan.

Though Luke didn't know much about the amphibious species aside from what he'd seen and heard the day before, he thought the Gungan looked very world-weary. His ears where hanging loosely, as opposed to perched proudly like the warriors he had seen. His clothes looked like they had been expensive at one point, but had fallen into disrepair. The Gungan had a definite sad look about him. Like he'd born the weight of the world on his shoulders and had been crushed by it, now left to live out the rest of his days in pain and anguish.

But curiously, Luke noticed how _horribly_ the other early risers where treating the Gungan. One or two simply ignored him. A few others shot scornful looks at him. At least three _spat_ at him. But that was nothing compared to the two grown men who walked over to him, and proceeded to _kick_ him violently while bystanders simply stood by and watched.

That wasn't something Luke's character would allow. He balled his hands into fists and practically _charged_ the two men.

"Get off him!" Luke bellowed as he slammed his shoulder into the first man, knocking him off-balance. His friend turned to face Luke, who wasn't that scared of him. Compared to some of Jabba's thugs who collected the Water Tax, this bully was nothing.

"Buzz off," the second bully scoffed as he turned away from Luke to kick the Gungan again. Not taking that as a proper answer, Luke grabbed him by the shoulder and tried to push him away. The bully whipped around with a cocked fist, but he struck nothing but empty air.

Luke had been in street fights before. He knew how to handle himself in a fistfight. He ducked under the fist of the first bully, the one he had pushed away, and delivered a gut punch in return. The first bully staggered back, but the second bully grabbed Luke's arms, holding him in place long enough for his friend to recover.

Luke did the only thing he could think of, and tucked his legs into his body, before exploding them outwards in a double-kick that sent the man to the ground, and forced the other to lose his grip on Luke's arms, freeing him. Luke spun around and delivered a quick, powerful punch to the man's jaw, flooring him.

Both bullies looked at one another and scuttled away, leaving Luke alone with the Gungan, as everyone else had sped away at the first sign of trouble.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked, as he looked the poor creature over. Numerous cuts and bruises had joined half-healed wounds, which told him that this was most definitely not the first time this had happened.

"Yousen shoulda notta be donnen dat," The Gungan replied, refusing to even look at Luke as he pulled himself to a sitting position. "Dessen be very angry atta messa."

"Why?" Luke asked, in spite of himself.

"Messa..." the Gungan muttered, "messa maken big mistake. Lotsa people get hurten."

"What could _you_ have done," Luke replied as he stepped in and tried to wipe some of the blood off the Gungan's face, after it became clear he wasn't going to. A number of his older injuries looked like they where infected, due to not receiving proper treatment. "to get the crap beat out of you like that?"

The Gungan looked up at Luke, and his stalk-like eyes bulged for a brief moment. Almost like he was recalling something from a distant memory. "Issa longo tale..." the Gungan replied, "youssa should go. Thessa be back soon." The Gungan's stalk-like eyes darted down to Luke's hip, where his Father's lightsaber hung. His eyes seemed to widen as Luke took a step back, heeding the Gungan's words of warning.

"Just...," Luke said, "why can't you just go to the authorities?" Even on Tatooine, there was some semblance of Law Enforcement, even if it was merely a puppet organization put in place by Jabba.

"They no liken messa," the Gungan replied. Luke wanted to say more, but he was interrupted by the timely arrival of R2D2, who's beeps and whistles could be heard a mile away. Luke glanced at the little droid for a brief second, before turning back to the Gungan, who in the blink of an eye, had disappeared from his sight.

Turning back to the droid, Luke sighed. R2's whistles and beeps sounded frantic and impatient. He was clearly being told off for walking around in the early morning on his own.

"Yeah, yeah I know," Luke told the droid, patting him on his domed head.

R2 beeped his response, still scolding Luke somewhat, but appreciative of the compliment.

"I just needed some time to think," Luke chuckled, as the sun began to peak over Naboo's tallest mountains. Again, R2 beeped his response, with a pondering tone. "It's so surreal, seeing only _one_ sun," he said as he slumped against one of the stone pillars. He looked down at his belt, seeing the two weapons hanging there, finding it humorous that the absence of one sun was the oddest thing he'd seen. "Shouldn't you be with Leia?" Luke asked him.

R2 beeped a witty response.

"Yeah, well technically it was my _Uncle_ who bought you. And well..." Luke said with a shake of his head as he tried to not think about it to much. "I think I would have traded you for a pass off the planet., buddy." R2 beeped with a series of chirps that came across as pissed off, so Luke followed with, "well that was _before_ the Death Star. Now I'd need..." he said as he feigned a pondering tone, stroking his chin as he spoke "maybe one of those Star Destroyers, at least!"

R2 let out a half-amused, half-annoyed beep sequence.

"You're right," Luke chuckled, "two would be better!" Again, R2 let out a low whistle as he nudged Luke's side with his body. Luke turned to look as he watched Obi-Wan and Rex from afar. The two old men seemed to be reminiscing about the past. A part of Luke wanted to go up to Obi-Wan and inquire about further Jedi training, but he knew that it wasn't the right time.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Luke pondered. R2's response was quick and concise. "Yeah," Luke smirked, "probably about the glory days. Fighting the bad guys alongside my Father. I wonder if Rex knew him?"

R2 beeped a positive response.

"He did?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow, "how?" Again, R2 beeped a quick response. He gave Luke just enough information to satisfy his thirst for more. "A commander, wow!" Luke grinned with excitement. His Uncle had always been stringy with details about his Father. Luke had learned more in the past few days than he had in his whole life, even when counting the lies. "I guess you saw a lot more action than I thought, huh? Come on," Luke said as he stood up. "Let's go see if we can find me something to eat. And maybe Han or Leia. See if there's anything useful I can do today?"

R2 chirped as he rolled alongside Luke. The two of them wound their way through the streets, taking a different route than Luke had before. Now there where many more vendors selling their wares, and more people lined the streets.

Interestingly, most of them appeared to be Rebels. Perhaps they wanted to avoid being seen by the daily crowd, and would retreat inside soon enough. Luke avoided most of them. He didn't feel like he belonged with them yet, so he zipped into a side-alley with R2.

In his desperation to remain unseen, he failed to notice someone in his path until it was almost too late. Only at the last second did he manage to stop himself from awkwardly colliding with Leia, who had just turned around a corner.

It took him a moment to recognize her. She'd shed her white dress, which should not of come as that big of a surprise, but still did to him. Instead she wore a mix of browns and greys, resembling the same clothing she'd seen the somewhat senior members of the Rebellion wearing.

"Oh! Luke!" she said, sounding somewhat startled. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" she said as she placed a hand on her chest, which was heaving for the shock. Looking just past her shoulder, Luke saw that she wasn't alone. The same person who'd helped him up after the altercation on Yavin 4 stood a ways back. He was forced to assume Leia's companion was a woman, as they where encased entirely in a suit of armour. The only telltale sign of any gender being the faded pink highlights he could see on the gauntlets. The rest of the armour's colour was covered by a red-and-grey shoulder-cape with an insignia he couldn't quite recognize. The brief glimpse he got looked like the side of a Krayt Dragon, but heavily distorted.

Honestly he was rather unnerved by her. Something seemed _cold_ around her. Not cold in an evil way, but cold in the same way that space was. Even though she was wearing a full helmet, he could feel her eyes boring into him, judging him for all he was worth.

"General Kenobi is looking for you," Leia continued, unaware of his unnerved nature. "he said to tell you to meet him in an hour, on the North Side of the Royal Falls." A load was lifted off of Luke's mind. Obi-Wan did want him to continue his training, and he wasn't just going to be cast aside like a used hydrospanner. "You know," Leia said, turning back to her companion with a small smile. "This is all really exciting, isn't it? I mean," she said, collecting herself somewhat. " _Three_ Jedi, all in one place? I'm starting to think we might have a shot, now. If only my father..." she said, her voice trailing off slightly, as the obvious pain of her immense loss overtook her voice for a few moments.

"So you're a Jedi?" Leia's companion grunted, confirming her gender. Her tone did not sound too impressed.

"In training," Luke replied sheepishly.

"Right," she replied, as she glanced him over a second time. "I think you're going to need a lot more," she said, before she turned around and walked away at a brisk pace. He wasn't sure how, but Luke knew that he'd done something to offend her in some capacity. His confusion must have been obvious, as Leia was quick to speak up.

"Don't mind her, Luke. The Rebellion was practically founded by Jedi. I met two on Lothal," she said, pausing quickly to inhale deeply. "Kanan made it out, barely. But only because his Apprentice stayed behind to hold off a small army," she said as she placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. "We recovered his body, at least," she shrugged.

"And I guess those two where close?" Luke replied.

"Well according to a rumour I've heard," Leia said, "she went and killed forty-five Imperials single handedly just to get his lightsaber. What does that tell you?"

"Not to piss her off?" Luke offered innocently, earning a smile from the Princess. _Well, is she a Princess still? She doesn't exactly have a throne anymore..._ Luke tried to banish those thoughts from his mind by shaking his head side-to-side. It didn't work, and it only caused Leia to laugh out loud. Trying to change the course of the conversation _away_ from his awkwardness, Luke asked, "I don't know where the Falls are. Can you show me?" Breaking out of her fit, Leia replied.

"Yes," she said, still steadying herself. "I can. This way. Come along, R2." The little Astromech whistled a happy tune as it fell into line behind both of them.

Leia began to lead Luke through a part of the City that he hadn't been in before. This was a more residential section, with rows upon rows of houses that simultaneously looked the same yet different. Most of them had luxurious gardens that even Luke, who'd never expressed any interest in botany, was envious of. Different fruits and vegetables seemed to be favourites of the homeowners, with a dash of colourful flowers. As they walked, Leia began to recount the story of her first trip to Naboo.

"...was shortly after Pooja Nabiree took over the previous Senator's position. I'd just begun my studies as an aide to my Father and he paraded me around all the Mid-Rim worlds, showing me how various cultures worked. He told me that if I wanted to be a great leader, I would need to understand how other people worked. Chandrilla was _particularly_ educational," Leia recounted as they ascended a series of steps, which led back into the Palace.

"How so?" Luke asked.

"That was when I first learned about what my father was _really_ doing on these trips," Leia answered with a smirk. "He was using it as a reason to visit certain systems with known Rebel sympathizers to give them funding for the cause. He was laying the groundwork for the Rebel Alliance."

"So you where part of it from the get-go?" Luke asked as they entered the palace itself. "The Alliance, I mean," he clarified.

"No," Leia replied as they walked through a set of double-doors. "I wasn't. My Father didn't allow me to truly join up until about two years ago. But that was more because there was more work than he could handle, between the Alliance and the Senate than actual trust. That was earned later," she continued as they entered the very same hall where they had been greeted by the Queen the previous night. Before it had been very crowded, but now, Luke was given free reign to look around at the art on the walls. As long as he kept up with Leia and R2, of course. Leia lead him through a series of hallways, each as colourful as the last.

Before long, Luke began to hear a powerful _whooshing_ sound. And although he had never been near one before, he knew that was the sound of a waterfall. Eagerly, he pushed past Leia as they reached the final set of doors, and Luke was greeted with the sight of cascading water.

The exit had been carved into the cliff-side, directly behind the waterfall. He wanted to reach out and touch it for himself, but glancing to the side, he could see Obi-Wan waiting for him patiently with his sleeves tucked over his arms. A smile was cracking the old man's face as Luke approached.

"Are you ready to continue?" Obi-Wan asked politely.

"Yes!" Luke replied enthusiastically. "Yes, sir."

"Good," Obi-Wan said as he turned slowly and began to walk along the ledge between the Palace exterior and the waterfall. "This alcove should suit our purposes well," Obi-Wan said as they walked. "It is secluded, yet close enough that we can respond with haste to any summons. For now," he continued, as the undermentioned alcove came into view. Luke could see that someone was already there, waiting for them. "Knowledge of this meeting place will be extremely limited. Aside from us three, only Generals Syndulla and Dodanna, Princess Leia, and of course our little Astromech friend will know it's precise location." Luke turned his head, and saw that R2D2 had indeed followed him along the path.

"Okay," Luke replied as they came to a stop.

"And a word of advice," the man who Luke vaguely recalled being named 'Kanan' said. "You should hide your lightsaber better. Not only will you be a target for thieves to take it from you, but if an Imperial sees it," he said gravely, "they'll be sure to aim for you. Not always a good thing."

"What do you mean, 'not a good thing?'" Luke asked as he un-clipped his father's weapon from his belt. ""Isn't it better if they aim for me, instead of someone else?" Both older men shook their heads and let out a small laugh.

"You know," Obi-Wan said as he sat down and crossed his legs. Kanan attempted to do the same, but his cybernetic legs prevented him from achieving the exact same position. "Your father once said the same thing to me, years ago. And I agree with him. A Jedi Master _should_ wear his lightsaber proudly in the heat of battle. However," he elaborated, "you aren't there yet, Luke. You will be, in time. But not yet. Now put your lightsaber away, and let us begin."

Luke stood on the spot, dumbfounded for a moment. He looked at his Father's weapon, wondering how he was supposed to train in the ways of the Jedi _without_ using the weapon of the Jedi. It made no sense. _But Obi-Wan is the teacher,_ he thought to himself as he did as he was instructed, _not me._ He sat down between the two Jedi and crossed his legs in a similar manner. In the centre of the circle that they formed sat a medium-sized stone, which had been polished as smooth as glass by the waterfall.

Seconds ticked by as Luke waited for further instruction. He looked from side to side for some clue as to what they where supposed to be doing. Obi-Wan had his eyes closed, and Luke assumed Kanan did as well, although it was hard to tell. So Luke followed suit, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing. He tried to reach that place he had been in before, on the Millennium Falcon, when he had managed to defeat the remote drone. It wasn't easy, but he felt that he accomplished it.

A warm, calm feeling filled him as he opened his eyes again. Both Jedi had opened their eyes, and where seemingly waiting for him to do the same.

"Lift the stone," Obi-Wan said, waving his hand towards the rock sitting in the middle of their circle. Thinking he was doing as he was being told to, Luke reached out with his hand to grab the stone. But just as his fingers where about to brush against it, the stone pulled away by itself. Furrowing his brow, Luke tried to grab it again, with the same results. And again. And again. Only on the fifth try did he realize that Obi-Wan was manipulating the stone somehow.

He watched as the old man moved his hands from side-to-side, with the rock following suit. Obviously sensing his confusion, Kanan spoke up.

"Through the Force, many things are possible," he said plainly. "As my master once put it: Your reality is determined by your focus. If you truly believe it is possible, it will be." Luke wasn't sure he understood just how that was possible. He could _imagine_ flying without a star-ship, but it wasn't _possible._ Yet, clearly moving the stone was.

Again, he slowed his breathing down, and reached that special place in his mind. He set out his hand like Obi-Wan did, and concentrated hard on the stone. Nothing happened. He knew he needed to focus harder, which he did. He felt the muscles tense in his body as he willed the stone to move, even just an inch.

He the minutes dragged on, as his sense of failure continued to grow. A nagging thought filled the back of his mind. What if he wasn't cut out to be a Jedi like his Father? Would he simply go on to be a front-line soldier for the Rebellion? _No,_ he told himself, _can't think like that. Concentrate._ He re-doubled his efforts to move the stone, willing it to move harder than he'd ever wished for anything in his life.

Beads of sweat drooled down his face as he continued to concentrate. His whole body tensed with anticipation as he narrowed his eyes on the single stone.

Until it finally lifted itself from the ground, and hovered in mid-air.

Pure joy filled him as he watched the stone float in front of his eyes. This was _his_ doing. Not someone else's. And though he had not moved the stone nearly as far as Obi-Wan had, he chalked that up to the older Jedi having decades of experience and training over him. Letting the stone drop, he looked around. A lot of time seemed to have passed by, as the sun was now high in the sky, easily nearing mid-day.

"Good," Obi-Wan chuckled as he patted Luke on the shoulder. "Very good, Luke. It takes most Jedi weeks, if not months to accomplish that."

"Really?" Luke replied, slightly ecstatic at this idea as he wiped his brow clean of sweat.

"Yes. I myself took several weeks to do such a thing. Now," Obi-Wan said in his usual, calm tone. "I want you to do it again." Looking back to the stone, Luke set his mind to the task. He _knew_ it was possible to move now. For what felt like the next two hours, he moved the stone. Up and down, side to side. It took a great amount of effort for him to move the stone, but each time it got just a little bit easier.

Sweat continued to fall down his cheeks as he went through the motions of the exercises Obi-Wan and Kanan gave him. He began to move the stone higher, and in more intricate circles as the sun reached it's peak, and then began to descend towards the horizon again when Obi-Wan finally called for him to stop.

At that point, Luke felt as though he was ready to drop from physical exertion. He hadn't eaten all day, and his stomach was growling for it. But, as Luke looked up at Obi-Wan, he could see that there would be no respite. The old man had drawn his Lightsaber, as had Kanan. Seeing their shining blue blades brought forth a question into Luke's mind.

"Why are our blades blue?" Luke asked as he ignited his Father's Lightsaber. "And yet Vader's is red?"

"The colour of a Jedi's lightsaber is determined by the colour of their focusing crystal. And the colour of the focusing crystal is determined by what is in the Jedi's heart," Obi-Wan chuckled simply. "Blue, Green and Yellow are the most common. Purple, White and Orange are rare, but not unheard of. Now," he continued as he assumed the same position he had shown Luke aboard the Millennium Falcon. "Let us begin. Follow my lead."

He led Luke through a series of motions with the Lightsaber. Up and around his body, Luke twisted the blade in slow, intricate arcs. Most of the movements he made where clumsy and exaggerated, which Obi-Wan was quick to correct with a calm remark. He would prod Luke's arms or legs with a hand, showing him the proper stances and explaining to him the strengths and weaknesses of each manoeuvre.

Despite Luke's best efforts, most of what Obi-Wan said went straight over his head. Why did such intricacies matter when a lightsaber could cut through any object with ease? He still did his best to follow the instruction, however.

Before long, he had Luke engage Kanan in a mock duel. Sizing the Jedi Knight up, Luke wondered why Obi-Wan would give him such a handicapped opponent.

But Luke still intended to go through the exercise, so he raised his blade appropriately. He held it across his body like Obi-Wan had taught him to. Kanan, on the other hand, opted for a one-handed guard, with his blade pointing straight out at Luke.

"Begin," the blind Jedi Master grinned. Both of their weapons had been set to 'training' mode, so there was no chance of them hurting one another. So Luke felt confident as he lunged forward with what he perceived as a powerful overhead strike, similar to one he had seen Obi-Wan use against Darth Vader.

Kanan did not even have to raise his blade. All he did was step to the side, out of the way of Luke's strike.

"You're putting too much focus on speed and strength," the blind Jedi said simply. "And you are forgetting technique. Finesse is a core tenant of combat. Try again." Luke swung again. This time he cut his blade horizontally, and Kanan stepped back. Pressing his attack, Luke swung again in an uppercutting motion. Kanan intercepted the strike with a parry, sending Luke's blade way off the mark. "That's better, but still predictable." He disengaged their blades, thereby shoving Luke back. Luke was quickly forced to go on the defensive as Kanan swung his blade through the air with lightning precision.

By some instinct Luke was able to parry his first strike, much like he had defended himself against the remote drone on-board the Millennium Falcon. However a split second later, Kanan rested his blade against Luke's neck. "Your defence is weak and uncommitted. A dedicated attack from an Inquisitor, or even a glancing blow from Vader would have destroyed it. Now, again," he said as he backed away from Luke, giving him a chance to assume a defensive stance.

But no sooner had he done so than Kanan once more became a blur of motion, swinging his blade for Luke's head. Taking a page out of Obi-Wan's playbook, Luke ducked under the blue blade and twisted himself around Kanan's guard, all the while keeping his Father's blade between him and Kanan.

"Good, Luke," Obi-Wan remarked calmly. "Remember to keep your feet placed evenly apart, or else you risk tripping over yourself. And raise your blade slightly, to offer better coverage."

"I'll try," Luke replied as he did as instructed.

"No, you won't try," Kanan remarked sharply as he swung his blade in a wide arc. Luke performed a clumsy block, which only barely managed to send the Jedi Knight's blade away. Though Luke guessed that it wasn't a very dedicated strike. "You will or you won't. That is the way of a Jedi," he said, as Luke went in for a strike, which was very easily blocked. The two went back-and-forth for some time, as both Older Jedi continued to correct Luke's technique. They pointed out every small mistake he made, and very few of his accomplishments. It was very infuriating.

"That is enough for today, I think," Obi-Wan chuckled calmly as Luke finally deactivated his Father's lightsaber, and stowed it away on his belt. "I think it is time we eat," he said, pointing to the setting sun. "The Queen has arranged for us to dine with her tonight."

Obi-Wan wasn't lying. The Queen of Naboo had indeed arranged to dine with the Rebel Refugees, Luke soon found out.

About thirty-five people where sitting along three long tables. Luke had situated himself beside Han and Chewie, hoping the sight of a Wookie would deter any unwanted attention. Though he was forced to deal with the occasional face-full of fur whenever Chewie leaned over to grab something. But at least Han provided some good conversation. Though his attentions where mainly on a young brunette who seemed to be hanging on his every word.

"...so of _course_ they engage their tractor beams, trying to reign the old girl in," Han said, completely caught up in a story he was telling to anyone who would listen. "but little did those Imperial bucket-heads know that at the last second, I was going to double-back on them. They wound up hitting each-other with those tractor beams!" he said as he put his two fists together, emphasizing his point to the young woman, who simply smiled. "wound up slamming into one another like a pair of Kruut Bulls!" Luke, the woman, and several others let out a hearty chuckle. One person, however, was not impressed.

"A pointless display of bravado that will get you killed one day," Leia half-spat from across the table. "Costing us a ship and valued member of the Alliance."

"I'm a valued member of the Alliance?" Han replied with a smarmy grin.

"I was referring to Chewbacca, actually," Leia shot back, earning a smattering of applause and cheers. "He at least seems as though he has a shred of sense! Unlike _some_ present company. Besides," she continued with a daring smile. "As your co-pilot tells it, _you_ wanted to blast out of that forsaken hangar the minute the tractor beam was down. _Luke_ was the one who mounted my rescue." Every eye that had been on Han suddenly turned to face Luke, causing him to blush slightly. He wished that Leia hadn't drawn any attention to him.

"It wasn't much of a rescue," Luke replied, trying to divert the attention away from himself. "I just..it was mostly..."

"Nonsense!" Leia said boastfully. "You got us out of that hallway, remember? There must have been what," she said as she cast a subtle wink in Luke's direction. Glancing to the side, he could see that the same young woman who'd been so enamoured with Han's story was now staring at Luke in the same way. Now he understood what she was trying to do. "Fifteen Stormies hot on our tail?"

"Five," Luke replied meekly. "There where five Stormtroopers at most."

"No, I remember there being at _least_ fifteen," Leia winked subtly. "And how you swung us across that _bottomless_ pit? Absolutely heroic! I'm glad you're on our side."

"Well I uh..." Luke stuttered, trying to keep up with Leia as best he could. "That was...done in desperation...besides," he said, blushing from all the attention he was getting. "You did half the work. I'm just a simple farm-boy who was born on Tatooine, and figured I was going to die there up until a few days ago..."

"Actually," Obi-Wan said, speaking for the first time since they had sat down. Oddly enough him opening his mouth caused the entire room to fall silent as everyone turned to listen to what he had to say. "You weren't born on Tatooine, Luke. You and Leia were born on a mining facility in the Polis Masa cluster."

"What?" both Luke and Leia said simultaneously, as the room erupted into a series of gossiping whispers. Apparently this was very big news. "How would you-?" Leia continued.

"Because," Obi-Wan said very plainly as he folded his arms across his chest. "I was there, holding your Mother's hand as she gave birth to the two of you." Luke's head began to swim. His life had changed so much in the past week, and it overtook him. He excused himself as he stumbled off into the hallway, with R2 trailing not far behind. The little droid kept his distance, but still made sure Luke stayed in his sight.

Eventually Luke found a small corner of the palace that was deserted. He slid down against the marble floor and watched as R2 rolled up beside him, issuing a series of concerned beeps and whistles.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Luke replied with a deep sigh. Secretly, he's always wondered if he had any surviving family out there somewhere in the galaxy. Now that dream was a reality that had come crashing down on him. He made a mental note to talk with Leia about it later, especially concerning what had happened a few seconds before they had swung across that chasm. "It's just...it's been a very long day," he said.


	5. Empire Day Part 1

_**A/N:**_ _ **I apologize for this chapter taking so long. My laptop was stolen literally a few hours before I was originally going to post this chapter. Anyways, who's excited for "The Last Jedi?" (Please no spoilers before December 15**_ _ **th**_ _ **!)**_

 _ **.**_

Sweat rolled down Luke's brow as his muscles threatened to go into a series of spasms. He drew in a long breath as he tried to regain control of his body as he pushed himself further away from the ground. All the while he still struggled to understand exactly _why_ holding a handstand for so long was a part of his training regimen. It certainly wasn't useful like practicing against the remote, or going through the combat forms.

"Breathe," Kanan said to him softly as Luke's shoulder began to tremble. He'd been doing this for several minutes now, and he was beginning to feel the pain. "Just _breathe,"_ The Jedi Knight said as he walked in a circle around Luke. The heavy footfalls of the man's cybernetic legs echoed in his ears. Not for the first time, Luke wondered exactly _how_ he'd come to bear so many injuries. Where they from an encounter with Darth Vader himself? From what Luke had learned from listening to gossip, Kanan had trained an apprentice before. That Apprentice had mysteriously disappeared one day, however, and no one would tell Luke anything about what happened to him. All people said was to ask Kanan, and Luke knew that was inappropriate at the moment.

"Why is this necessary?" Luke blurted, despite himself. He closed his eyes in anticipation of the verbal thrashing he was about to receive. But none came.

"You know," Kanan quipped, "I asked my master the very same thing once?"

"And what did they say?" Luke grunted as he shifted his balance slightly.

"To quit asking questions and get back to your training," Kanan chuckled as Luke mentally slapped himself for walking straight into that response. He should have known that was coming. "But," Kanan continued, "she told me that it is a way to focus your mind. To rid yourself of any and all distractions. So just _breathe,_ Luke. Breathe, and everything will begin to be clear to you." Luke shook his head as he tried to focus.

He drowned out the Jedi Master's voice with the crashing sound of the waterfall behind him. Before long the world seemed to slip away from him as he felt the Force flowing around him. He let out a single breath as loose stones began to rise ever so slightly. He pricked his ears as the wind blew around him.

 _Luke._

He snapped his eyes open and looked around for the source of the voice that had called his name. He turned is head to face Kanan, but saw that he was to far away to have spoken to Luke without shouting. No, the voice had belonged to someone else. It was the same voice he'd been hearing in his sleep ever since arriving on Naboo. It was something he'd been meaning to talk to Obi-Wan about. But the only time he saw the older Jedi was when they where training, and they where so pressed for time that Luke hadn't been given the chance to bring it up.

 _Luke._

He shook his head, passing off the voice as being just a figment of his imagination, brought on by the stress of being in the Rebellion and Jedi training. Perhaps the boredom was getting to him. he'd actually expected his life to get a lot more interesting than it had previously been on Tatooine. But all that had really happened was that his hours spent manning a moisture vaporator had been replaced with hours of running, sitting and holding weird poses for long periods of time. Only the brief sessions he'd been given in a flight simulator, and his walks around the city, offered him some degree of pleasure.

"You're slipping," Kanan said from where he stood, snapping Luke back to the present moment.

"Sorry," was all that Luke could say as he pushed his arms straight once more. Both limbs burned with pain as he did so. But he wasn't going to complain. That would just lead to holding the handstand for even longer. The few seconds he gained from his silence proved to be useful.

"I think that's enough for today," Kanan said simply, "you can relax." As soon as he said that, Luke's arms buckled and he half-dropped, half-rolled into a sitting position. Sweat rolled down his brow, despite his efforts to wipe it away with his forearm. "You're still wondering why you have to do that?" Kanan asked pointedly. Luke was to exhausted to say anything, so he merely nodded.

"There are three reasons," Kanan explained as he stood up and approached. "One, it teaches discipline. Two, it strengthens your muscles. Three, it quiets the mind." Luke shook his head, still not understanding as he rolled out onto his back, trying to soothe the ache in his shoulders. "Something to think about," Kanan continued, "rest. Then wash up. Imperials should be arriving on the planet soon to prepare for the Empire Day celebrations this evening."

Again, Luke could do nothing but nod, which seemed to be enough for the Jedi Knight, who turned and walked away, leaving Luke alone with his thoughts.

 _Don't be afraid._

...xxXxx…

The solid wood doors that led into the Royal Chamber he had been given slid closed behind Obi-Wan Kenobi as he passed through them. It had been an exhausting day, and it was not even half over yet.

But that was not what had Obi-Wan so worried. He was worried because the Rebellion as whole was on the brink of destruction, and the weight of responsibility was slowly being placed on his shoulders. It had started innocently enough. Rex had approached him about schooling some of the younger commanders on the battle-tactics he had employed during the Clone Wars. He had of course, obliged, due to the fact that the Rebellion was sorely lacking in experienced commanders. Something which he would later go on to regret, because not soon after he had been thrown into the midst of planning the inevitable assault on the Death Star.

Even in his prime, with the might of the Republic behind him, he would have thought thrice about attacking the battle-station. Now, with one-tenth of the resources, the task seemed to be utterly impossible.

Now he stood before a large holo-table with several other top Generals around it. The looming image of the Death Star dominated the room.

"Most effective method of attack is a bombing run on the exhaust port _here,"_ General Dodanna said, highlighting the area he was referring too. "But my guess is that the Imperials might have had time to do a full readout of the Station's weaknesses. They may place additional turbolasers there."

"Not to mention the sizeable fleet of Star Destroyers guarding it," General Reiken added in, as the image zoomed out to show at least ten massive warships surrounding the battle-station, as well as a small fleet of support craft. "Even at full strength I don't think we could manage to penetrate that." Obi-wan stood and analyzed the station for a minute, letting his mind wander over the many possibilities.

One of the first things that came to mind was rigging a ship with explosives and ramming it into the Battle-Station as hard as they could above the exhaust port. However he realized that there where several problems with that strategy. One, the Alliance had very few ships large enough to do any real damage tot he station. And those that where large enough where too valuable to waste in such a manner. Two, even with a direct hit there was no guarantee that such an explosion would detonate the Station. And as they had already established, there was no way that even the entire Rebel Fleet could tackle the Death Star. Even the fleet guarding it posed a sizable threat to them.

"If we could disable one of those Star Destroyers," Obi-Wan said as a plan began to formulate in his mind. "we could slip a small corvette through the blockade, and into a hangar."

"In order to disable a Star Destroyer, general," Dodanna replied, "we would need to engage the entire fleet, while only targeting one ship's engines. That would leave our entire flank unprotected and-"

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said, politely cutting him off with a small wave of his hand. "But the fleet doesn't need to engage in battle in order to target a Destroyer's engines." A air of confusion settled over the room, as the generals looked around, pondering what he'd just said. So Obi-Wan decided to delve into further detail. "One of the weaknesses that a large organization like the Empire has is it's inability to pay attention to the smaller details. A bored Deck Officer is just as deadly as a malfunctioning turret."

"So what you're saying, General," one of the Alliance High command replied, "is that we should somehow smuggle Rebel personnel on-board a Star Destroyer?"

"Well perhaps not _people,"_ he clarified, clearing his throat as he spoke. "I have a feeling that we will need all we can muster for the second part of the operation. No, I have something else in mind…."

...xxXxx…

Even as Luke walked through the streets of Theed, he could not shake the feeling that something, or someone, was following him. The very hairs rose on the back of his neck as he ducked through the many streets, hoping to lose whatever was following him.

He tried to tell himself that it was just a trick of the light. There wasn't anyone following him, staying just out of his field of vision. He didn't see a flash of movement when he turned around.

And yet, the feeling lingered.

He trudged his way up the main street, with his heartbeat quickening at the sight of three Imperial Stormtroopers unloading crates from a transport. He had to remind himself that today was both the anniversary of his Birth and Empire Day. There where celebrations scheduled for later in the evening, and all Rebel personnel had been instructed to simply stay out of the way, even in the catacombs of the Palace if necessary.

The more recognizable members of the Alliance, such as Master Kenobi and Leia, along with many other top generals had elected to stay indoors for the duration of the Imperial's stay. Which, thanks to Naboo's standing within the Imperial Hierarchy, meant only a day or two. Until then Luke simply had to play along and 'stay out of trouble', as Obi-Wan had put it.

So he did just that, and wandered up the street, veering to the left just before reaching the Palace Steps that where guarded by four more Stormtroopers. The increased security was due in part to Naboo's governor being planet-side. So Luke skirted the checkpoint and headed for the supposedly 'abandoned' supply depot where several Rebel Freighters where being kept in case of an emergency.

It didn't take him long to reach the supply depot, which was mostly hidden from all angles. The only reason Luke knew it was even there was because that was where he had gone through test-runs in the flight simulator. The only entrance was located in a back-alley few ventured down, and Luke was sure to check to make sure no one was following him before he entered.

 _Luke._

The entrance led to a winding tunnel which led underground. It took him a good ten minutes to traverse the entire tunnel, but the effort was actually worth it. At the tunnel's end, it spread out wide, to a hangar that was easily a kilometer long. Dozens of Rebel Freighters dominated his view, but he only searched for one. Fortunately he was found by one of it's pilots before he found the actual ship.

"Hey, Chewie," Luke grunted as he was pulled into a tight embrace by the Wookie. He did his best to not choke on the tufts of hair that covered his face. The Wookie only growled a friendly response before he started to drag Luke off towards the other end of the Depot, near the large blast-doors which had been carved out of the side of the cliff, allowing ships to get in and out when needed. Before long Chewie let go of Luke, nearly dropping him on the ramp of the _Millennium Falcon._ Already he could hear voices coming from around the other side of the massive ship.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, _General!"_ Han scoffed as Luke idled towards him. Han was currently working on repairing a small section of exposed wiring near the engine block. Just behind Han stood the Twi'lek general, Hera Syndulla. And she looked like she was just as annoyed as Han was. And the two of them where arguing.

"All I said Solo," Hera remarked as she placed her hands on her hips, "is that if you put the-"

"I know my ship, sweat-heart," Han replied brazenly as he fiddled with some tools, igniting several sparks from within the wires. "inside and out. From here I can remove the secondary inhibitor and-"

"Which has a ten percent chance of making your ship blow up the next time you jump to hyperspace," Hera cut back confidently.

"Not when I've shielded the fuel cells," Han snapped back as he reached further into the ship.

"Have they been at this for long?" Luke asked Chewie, who barked a positive reply as the two pilots continued their bickering in the background. Even though he'd only known Han for a short while, he knew the smuggler well enough to know that there was no way he was going to let anyone get away with insulting his ship. This would be interesting to watch, to say the least.

 _Luke._

He spun around again, once more searching for the source of the voice. There where more than enough Pilots and ground crew around, but none of them had turned to talk with him, or where even close enough. The idea that someone was trying to get his attention was absolutely infuriating. He was determined to find the source of the voice, and walked away from the _Millennium Falcon._

He felt his vision gloss over slightly as he skirted around a large freighter. He could feel himself being _pulled_ in one direction, like a ship stuck in a gravity well. The whispers in his ear grew ever louder as he wandered off in the direction he was being pulled.

 _Luke._

He wondered if he should go find Obi-Wan. The Jedi Master would surely have some answer to what he was experiencing. But the pull was simply to strong for him to resist, and he fell into a steady stride. He easily outstripped the pilots and droids around him.

 _Leia._

He nearly stopped dead in his tracks after hearing Leia's name. That was almost _proof_ that he was hearing a live voice, not just a figment of his imagination. He tried to shake his head clear of the confusion that engulfed him. But he only wound up hitting his head off of something hard and metal. He had somehow managed to walk headfirst into a ship twice as big as an X-Wing. As he clutched his now-throbbing head, a sharp voice rung in his ears.

"Watch where you're walking you _di'kut!"_ said the Mandalorian Rebel Sabine Wren as she furiously dropped down from the top of the ship, right in front of Luke. Her scowl was more terrifying than any Tusken Raider he'd encountered, and he took a step back out of fear. "I swear if dented this, sand-brain I'll cut you a new one," she continued as she ran her hands over the thankfully undamaged hull of her ship.

"I...i didn't-" Luke stammered, knowing he was close to setting her off. She turned away from her ship, obviously satisfied that it wasn't damaged from his head. Her hard gaze passed up and down is body, finally settling on the somewhat-hidden Lightsaber on his belt.

"So you're that new Jedi, huh?" she said in a disbelieving tone.

"I...am," Luke replied. Holding a conversation with her felt like being a Womp Rat dodging the claws of a Krayt Dragon. And he knew which one he was at the moment. He tried to back away, but she kept him firmly in her sights, even going so far as to place him between the ship and herself. So he had no escape route.

 _Luke….Leia….._

He snapped is head to the side in his confusion. The urge to find the source of the voice was growing stronger by the minute.

"You don't look like much of a Jedi," Sabine scoffed, adding just a little insult to injury. But Luke tried to recover from her statement.

"I'm still learn-" in a flash of movement, Sabine drew a blaster pistol from it's holster and fired off two shots. Luke dodged both, but only barely as he fumbled with his Father's Lightsaber. The blade sprung to life just in time to block a third shot. For some reason the shots did not bounce off the blade, they where only stopped by it.

Sabine fired off another trio of shots as Luke realized that she was using stun rounds. She wasn't aiming to kill or maim him. But that thought wasn't going to help him stop the stun-rounds. Those still stung, after all. He managed to clumsily block another pair of shots aimed at his head before something impacted his stomach three times.

He realized too late that she'd drawn a second blaster, and had used it to slip past his guard. He doubled over in pain, only making sure to deactivate his Father's Lightsaber before he rolled over on the ground. He wasn't given a long respite, however. A heavy boot kicked him over onto his back.

Sabine's boot. She stared down at him, with a single blaster pistol pointed directly at his head. At such a close range, even a stun round could cause serious injury, or even death. Luke thought briefly about trying to wrestle out of her grip. But the two blaster pistols she'd used on him, plus the rifle on her back and several knives on her belt told him that she'd probably win a one-on-one match.

"Next time watch what you're doing, _di'kut,"_ she said as several Rebel personnel gathered into a crowd. Luke could see Han at the forefront, barely holding Chewie back from making a scene. She shifted the blaster pointed at his face to the side by the tiniest fraction, and planted a shot right next to his ear. "Because they won't miss like I did," she scoffed before letting him up and walking away.

The ringing in his ears only worsened his confused state, as did the bruising on his stomach. He nearly threw up when Chewie hauled him to his feet. The Wookie's surprisingly soft hands caressed Luke's shoulder for a moment, before he pulled away.

"Making more friends, I see," Han observed as he patted Luke on the shoulder.

"Is that what that was?" Luke replied groggily.

"Don't fret kid," Han shrugged. "I think she's on our side. Pretty sure she'd have killed you otherwise. Most Mando's don't like it when you touch their stuff. Especially their weapons." He patted Luke on the shoulder again as he tried to lead him back towards the _Millennium Falcon,_ something which Luke wasn't keen on doing at the moment. He still was feeling that pull.

"I have to say," Han remarked as they walked. "Those where some fancy moves you showed off there, kid. Not bad for a farmboy with a glow-rod." Luke wanted to say something smart to the smuggler, but couldn't find the right words.

 _Luke. Leia._

"I'm sorry," Luke said as he pulled away from Han. "I have to….to go..." The pounding in his head only grew worse as he staggered away. In the distance, Luke could vaguely hear Han call out after him, but he didn't stop to listen. Something was calling him, and he was determined to find out just what.

...xxXxx…

Obi-Wan Kenobi sat in deep meditation inside the rock outcropping which was serving as a training ground for Luke. As the so-called Empire Day celebrations went on less than a mile from him, he found a need to sit in solitude. A time to reflect on the past. Not to dwell on it, but to remember it.

He emptied his mind with the sound of the rushing waterfalls, letting the sensation soothe him as best as he could. The stress of the past few weeks had been getting to him. He'd forgotten how to be around large groups of people all at once. So he took this opportunity to simply unwind.

" _Hello, my Apprentice,"_ Qui-Gon Jinn said as he materialized in front of Obi-Wan, looking no older than the day he had died.

"Hello, Master," Obi-Wan replied with a curt nod.

"How goes the training?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan pondered for a moment before responding.

"As well as I could hope for, Master," Obi-Wan replied with a sigh of relief. Hearing himself saying that eased his mind somewhat. The gnawing feeling that he had done something wrong eased off to a degree. "He is eager, determined and strong in the Force. I couldn't ask for a better student. Though I admit," he continued as he rubbed his hands together, "Luke is headstrong. I fear he may attempt to overstretch himself."

"Much like you would have," Qui-Gon replied with a smile, as he assumed a sitting position across from Obi-Wan. "If my memory serves me correctly, _you_ attempted to bring down a smuggler's cartel single handedly on Chandrilla."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan nodded, "However I-" His former Master cut him off with a wave of his hand, much like he had done all those years ago.

"What _could_ happen is irrelevant, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon interrupted calmly. "Remember that while it does good to be mindful of the future, it must not be at the expense of the moment. And I-" He stopped as Obi-Wan pricked his ears at the sound of rapid footsteps. Someone was coming. And they where in a huge hurry. He rose to his feet as Qui-Gon's ghostly image disappeared into thin air.

The footsteps grew louder and louder, and Obi-Wan subtly reached for his Lightsaber. Very few members of the Alliance knew where exactly he was training Luke. But that did not rule out the possibility of enemies finding them out.

But the person who appeared before him was no enemy of his. A sweat-stained Leia Organa sprinted into view. Her breath was haggard, as she had obviously been running for some time. Obi-Wan quickly caught her before she fell over completely, out of exhaustion. A look of sheer terror filled her eyes. And knowing she was as fearless as Anakin had been only made his concerns grow tenfold.

"They found us," she gasped, struggling to catch her breath. "The Empire….found us…...blockade….."


End file.
